Now that the pope's trip to the United States is over, what will it mean to those who got to meet Pope Francis, to millions of Catholics here and to the Catholic Church? NY1's Budd Mishkin has this observation.

It will be a trip long remembered.

Pope Francis' visit was about a man, a hugely influential and inspirational man. But this was also a trip about an institution, the Catholic Church, at a time when it faces great challenges.

All of this was on display, from deeply personal moments of raw emotion to public displays of majestic choreography.

Most of us watched the pope's trip to the United States on television or via social media. But millions had the pleasure of seeing Pope Francis in person, where his magnetism was undeniable.

There were New Yorkers who got up before dawn and waited on line for 12 hours for a fleeting glimpse of the pope driving by.

There was five-year-old Sofi Cruz, who got through barriers in Washington and was then summoned by the pope and handed him a message about immigrant rights.

There was the scene at Madison Square Garden, moments before the pope led Mass. His kiss of a toddler elicited a response from the adults holding the child that required no description.

And you certainly didn't have to be Catholic to be moved by the extraordinary scenes at the 9/11 Memorial: A lone man in white, at the site where thousands were murdered, taking in the pool of cascading water, a symbol of a city's, a country's tears.

And then there was music and prayer as the pope stood side by side with representatives of the world's religions - a shining moment for New York and humanity.

During the pope's trip there was the personal and the political. The pope spoke at length and eloquently throughout the trip about climate control, immigration rights and treatment of the poor, giving voice to the voiceless.

On some of the most divisive social issues of the day - abortion rights, gay marriage - there was little.

And while the pope's personal appeal brought joy to millions of people from all religions,  broader questions of policy remain for many Catholics.  

Will this relatively new pope, received like a rock star in America, change the church's positions on issues like contraception, priests being allowed to marry and the role of women in the Church?

And then there is the topic that for many Catholics has dwarfed all others over the past decade - the priest sexual abuse scandal and the church's response to it.

Pope Francis met with victims of the sexual abuse and then addressed the topic in a speech to bishops in Philadelphia.

Pope Francis added that all responsible will be held accountable.

Will the pope's trip help change the image of the Catholic Church and be the impetus for many Catholics to return?

This question, and other complex issues, will be debated in the public forum. 

But for millions of Americans, the memories of this past week will be deeply personal, passionate and powerful.