Massachusetts newlyweds behind Pope Leo's viral photo with White Sox hat
The moment Pope Leo broke Vatican protocol to put on a White Sox hat has gone viral, and the couple who gave it to him are proud Red Sox fans from Haverhill, Massachusetts.
"He was so down to earth that you really can't rationalize who you're standing with," Gary DeStefano recalled, of the surreal moment he experienced just more than 24 hours ago.
Kelly and Gary DeStefano still feel on a cloud - after this one in a lifetime experience, the grandest of finales to their picture-perfect honeymoon. The Haverhill newlyweds, baseball-loving Boston fans, traded their team for a pretty fantastic photo op - with the most famous White Sox fan of all time: Pope Leo.
Newlyweds meet Pope Leo
"This is exactly the way he left it," Kelly explained, of the hat adjustment. "And he proudly puts it on, and he jokes with us 'you're going to get in trouble, but I'm not!' Because we're Red Sox fans!" she exclaimed.
Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025.
FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images
Kelly and Gary had always hoped their honeymoon might include a glimpse of the pope. When Pope Francis passed away about a month before their wedding they were crushed, they couldn't have dreamed the literal blessing still to come.
"Then it was the first American pope and then it was a mission. My cousin Paul Breen came to our wedding and said 'you don't know how hard it was to find these White Sox hats. They don't sell them in Massachusetts!' If we would be in the large crowd he said, 'put them on, maybe the pope would see you.' We were lucky enough to get tickets and seating for the sposi novelli and personally got to meet the pope," Kelly said.
Home safe, with hearts full, the husband and wife say their new prized possession is going straight into a case to be passed on to their grandchildren. The highlight of their honeymoon, a memory they'll treasure always, and a beautiful beginning to their blessed marriage.
"If one thing brings the country together it's sports. Whether we're Red Sox fans, he's a Chicago fan, by showing him that hat. He laughed. He has a difficult job. If you bring laughter into somebody's life that little bit even in his position, what more could you ask for? We're very grateful," said Gary.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Massachusetts newlyweds behind Pope Leo's viral photo with White Sox hat
The moment Pope Leo broke Vatican protocol to put on a White Sox hat has gone viral, and the couple who gave it to him are proud Red Sox fans from Haverhill, Massachusetts. "He was so down to earth that you really can't rationalize who you're standing with," Gary DeStefano recalled, of the surreal moment he experienced just more than 24 hours ago. Kelly and Gary DeStefano still feel on a cloud - after this one in a lifetime experience, the grandest of finales to their picture-perfect honeymoon. The Haverhill newlyweds, baseball-loving Boston fans, traded their team for a pretty fantastic photo op - with the most famous White Sox fan of all time: Pope Leo. Newlyweds meet Pope Leo "This is exactly the way he left it," Kelly explained, of the hat adjustment. "And he proudly puts it on, and he jokes with us 'you're going to get in trouble, but I'm not!' Because we're Red Sox fans!" she exclaimed. Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025. FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images Kelly and Gary had always hoped their honeymoon might include a glimpse of the pope. When Pope Francis passed away about a month before their wedding they were crushed, they couldn't have dreamed the literal blessing still to come. "Then it was the first American pope and then it was a mission. My cousin Paul Breen came to our wedding and said 'you don't know how hard it was to find these White Sox hats. They don't sell them in Massachusetts!' If we would be in the large crowd he said, 'put them on, maybe the pope would see you.' We were lucky enough to get tickets and seating for the sposi novelli and personally got to meet the pope," Kelly said. Home safe, with hearts full, the husband and wife say their new prized possession is going straight into a case to be passed on to their grandchildren. The highlight of their honeymoon, a memory they'll treasure always, and a beautiful beginning to their blessed marriage. "If one thing brings the country together it's sports. Whether we're Red Sox fans, he's a Chicago fan, by showing him that hat. He laughed. He has a difficult job. If you bring laughter into somebody's life that little bit even in his position, what more could you ask for? We're very grateful," said Gary.
Vogue Arabia
3 days ago
- Vogue Arabia
The Straw Bucket Bag is the It-Girl Bag This Summer
There's no doubt that when it comes to summer accessories, the straw bucket bag is the star of the show. Not only is it the perfect accessory to suit every look and occasion, but the straw bucket bag is a must-have for the summer season specifically. A true passepartout for the summer, the bag is light and often comes in natural colours. It is big enough to hold everything you need, and at the same time, it is more contained than a tote. A symbol of sophistication and effortlessness, the straw bucket bag is a staple of a quite luxury that pays the utmost attention to detail and quality without being ostentatious. The vintage accessory is both reminiscent of outdoor picnics and suitable for everyday life, between the office, coffee breaks at the bar or at a park and last-minute evening aperitifs. The straw bucket bag can be carried anytime and with anything, and is never out of place. In fact, it is the cutest accessory you can wear in summer 2025. Launchmetrics/ Launchmetrics/ The Birkin-style straw bucket bag, a model that never goes out of style A nod to Italian summers and 1970s style icons including Jane Birkin, this particular basket bag won everyone over with its unique and unmistakable style, emphasising how cool the straw bucket bag can be. An accessory that owes its popularity to French women, an integral part of Parisian style which saw its first sunrise in the summers of the French Riviera. And which Jane Birkin herself used to wear as early as in the 1960s on the city streets. Then in 1974, she used it for the first time on the red carpet at Cannes, pairing the Jane Birkin Basket with a mini dress, bleu navy tights and silver sandals. A bag she had found a few years earlier at the Portobello road market and loved so much, wearing it very frequently, on every occasion and on the arm of women all over the world. Ruslan Baginskiy The Iza Basket Bag, AED1,500 The straw bucket bag with leather details, perfect for a city look This bag that is not just an accessory; it is a lifestyle, an element of everyday life and that accompanies you in every situation. A trend that has never stopped since it was born, so much so that today, straw, raffia or wicker bucket bags are must-haves for those who love a chic style with natural notes, refined yet effortless—urban but with a country touch. Bags that can be larger or smaller depending on your tastes and needs, spacious, light and versatile, the best companions of the summer season and ready to accompany you from morning to evening with their unmistakable style and shape. A garment that you can wear with anything, with a skirt, with a mini dress, jeans and a super basic white T-shirt, with a long dress or with a pair of shorts. In short, it's not so much with what—what matters is to have it on your arm and give every look a truly unsurpassed touch of easy chic sophistication. Saint Laurent Le 37 mini leather-trimmed raffia bucket bag, AED9,300 Article originally published on Vogue Italy
Vogue Arabia
29-05-2025
- Vogue Arabia
Cristiano & Georgina: A Timeline of Their Love Story
Skip to main content From a chance meeting in Madrid to raising a family in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez have built a life shaped by love, loss, and reinvention — all under the world's gaze May 29, 2025 From a Madrid shop floor to building a life in Saudi Arabia, the romance between Georgina Rodríguez and Cristiano Ronaldo has unfolded across cities, cultures, and continents. This is their story — in their own words. Photo: Anadolu (Getty Images) 2016 — A chance encounter in Madrid It all began in a Gucci store. Georgina Rodríguez was working as a sales assistant when she first met Cristiano Ronaldo. 'It was love at first sight,' they've both said. But for Georgina, it went even deeper: 'I remember that when we held hands for the first time, I felt inexplicable peace and energy,' she told Ronaldo in their Vogue Arabia cover conversation. 'It felt like we had known each other all our lives.' Photo: Nicolò Campo (Getty Images) 2017 — A relationship goes public, a family expands They made their first public appearance in January 2017 at The Best FIFA Football Awards, sealing speculation that they were a couple. By November, they welcomed their first child together, Alana Martina. Georgina also embraced a maternal role to Cristiano's three older children. Photo: Valeriano Di Domenico - FIFA (Getty Images) 2018–2020 — Life in Turin, foundations of fame As Ronaldo moved to Juventus in Italy, Georgina quietly built her own identity. From brand appearances to family life, she became an anchor in the footballer's world — and something more. 'Even though some people label me as 'the girlfriend of', I am very proud to be your wife,' she said. 'I have shown through my personality and my strength that I have my own light.' Photo: Europa Press Entertainment (Getty Images) Photo: Tullio M. Puglia (Getty Images) Photo: Daniele Venturelli (Getty Images) 2022 — Love, loss, and legacy In April, the couple shared the devastating news that one of their newborn twins had passed away. Their daughter Bella Esmeralda survived, and the moment marked a turning point in how the world saw them — not just as celebrities, but as humans. That same year, Georgina released her Netflix documentary I Am Georgina , opening up her world to fans: 'It gave me the opportunity to show the real 'me',' she said. 'It's been the most important and large-scale project that I've done so far.' Photo: Yasser Bakhsh (Getty Images) Photo: FAYEZ NURELDINE (Getty Images) Photo: Khalid Alhaj/MB Media (Getty Images) 2023 — A new life in Saudi Arabia Following Ronaldo's move to Al Nassr FC, the couple relocated to Riyadh, ushering in a new chapter personally and professionally. 'Saudi Arabia is a country that has welcomed us with much love,' Georgina said. 'It's also a very family-oriented country, and I only have good words and gratitude.'
