Latest news with #KellyDeStefano
CBS News
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- 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.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Pope Leo XIV's Sox Cap Steals The Vatican Spotlight
Pope Leo XIV stunned onlookers in St. Peter's Square with an unexpected wardrobe twist, swapping his traditional zucchetto for a Chicago White Sox baseball cap. The American-born pontiff made the switch while blessing newlyweds Kelly DeStefano and Gary, who had brought the cap from their hometown. The moment unfolded during the couple's honeymoon trip to Rome for the papal 'sposi novelli' blessing. With a smile, the Pope wore the cap for a quick photo, creating what's now being called the first time a pope publicly repped MLB fan gear. The White Sox immediately shared the viral moment, while social media exploded with reactions. Some joked, 'Good to see him supporting the poorest,' while others unearthed old footage from the 2005 World Series, proving Pope Leo's Sox loyalty runs deep. Read More
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Cherry on top of our honeymoon': Haverhill couple goes viral after gifting the Pope a White Sox hat
It's not every day you get to meet the Pope, let alone gift him a hat of his favorite Major League Baseball team. However, for Kelly DeStefano and her husband, Gary, they did just that. The Haverhill couple, and diehard Bostonians, were celebrating; they had just gotten married at Sacred Hearts Parish back on May 25, and decided to visit Rome and to get a chance to meet the Holy Father during his Weekly General Audience on Wednesday. Before they left, Kelly's cousin, Paul Breen, gifted them Chicago White Sox hats and reminded them that His Holiness is a huge fan of the Southside baseball team and said it wouldn't hurt for them to wear the hats to try and get the Pope's attention. The newlyweds were there for the Sposi Novelli, meaning that during the Pope's general audience, they recieved special seating for their recent marriage. Then came the moment when they finally got the opportunity to meet the Pope. Gary DeStefano gifted the Pontiff the cap. 'He's so down to earth,' Kelly said, " he laughed when my husband pulled out the hat and jokingly said something in regards to 'we'll be in trouble but [the Pope] won't.'" Kelly called the experience 'The cherry on top of our honeymoon.' Congratulations to the newlyweds! This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
