Latest news with #SposiNovelli
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
Boston Globe
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
These Mass. people say they're lucky to have seen Pope Francis
Advertisement Then, Pope Francis appeared from behind a red curtain on a balcony. Everyone erupted in cheers and some shouted 'Papa Francisco,' Tuthill said. When the Pope said 'Happy Easter' in a 'weak and frail voice,' Tuthill said, she felt like she was watching a part of history. 'I knew he wasn't going to be alive much longer, which is why we went to Rome this year,' Tuthill said. Tuthill, 54, said she felt inspired seeing how, even though the Pope wasn't feeling well on Sunday, he greeted thousands and rode around Saint Peter's Square in his Popemobile . 'What I'm most struck with is he was serving others until the moment he died,' said Tuthill, who attended the Sunday morning Mass less than 24 hours before the Pope died around 7:30 a.m. on Monday. Advertisement Brendan Ward (from left), Madeline Ward, Scarlett Ward and Kelley Tuthill at Saint Peter's Square on Sunday, April 20. (Kelley Tuthill) Kelley Tuthill The Tuthill's were vacationing in Europe to visit their daughter, a college student who is studying abroad in Barcelona. When the leader of Catholic Charities Boston, which focuses on reducing poverty, realized her trip coincided with Easter, she decided they had to make a stop in Rome. 'He's been such a strong voice for those we serve, and there's not a lot of really strong voices right now with that message of kindness, especially for refugees and migrants,' Tuthill said. While Tuthill's well-timed visit allowed her to see some of Pope Francis' last public moments before he died, Danielle and Vin Bartucca got to meet the Pope in 2022, when he blessed their marriage on their honeymoon in Italy. A travel agent told them they could register for Pope Francis' 'Sposi Novelli,' a Vatican ceremony for newlyweds that happens on a regular basis. The couple jumped at the opportunity to participate in the ritual, in which they provided their wedding certificate, dressed in wedding attire and sat for a papal audience alongside dozens of other other newlyweds before meeting Pope Francis, Danielle Bartucca said. When the Bartucca's got to the front of the line, they said Pope Francis shook their hands and blessed their rosary beads. 'We said we're never going to wash our hands after touching the Pope,' Danielle said, with a laugh. After getting their marriage blessed by Pope Francis, Danielle and Vin Bartucca had a baby girl who shares her birthday, December 17, with the late Pope. (Danielle Bartucca) Danielle Bartucca Danielle thanked Pope Francis, in English, for his blessing, and Vin, speaking Italian, said 'it's an honor to meet you.' They said Pope Francis' humility and kindness were apparent during their brief interaction, and that the papal leader seemed to beam with brightness. 'You see him and it's almost like you're seeing a light, you're in such awe of him,' Danielle, 32, said. Advertisement Pope Francis' 'He's made the Catholic church more accepting of people as a whole, and that's how we feel as a family,' she said, explaining she'll raise her young daughter Eva with Pope Francis' values in mind. The four-month-old shares her birthday, December 17, with the late Pope, Vin said, and they named her Eva after Eve, the first woman God created, according to the Bible. A boys' treble choir from Saint Paul's Choir School performed at the Vatican and got to ride with Pope Francis in the Popemobile in April 2023. (Saint Paul's Choir School) Saint Paul's Choir School Vin, 37, also said he and his family will always be inspired by Pope Francis' message of acceptance for all. 'You don't have to follow every single rule of the church, as long as you're kind to everybody, you're basically following in God's footsteps,' Vin said. Vin, who grew up in Norwood, and Danielle, who was raised in Yarmouth Port, married in Boston's Cathedral of the Holy Cross after meeting at Bar Boulud in Back Bay, they said. They've been living in Jacksonville, Fla., for Danielle's medical school training, and they'll return to New England in June, when Danielle starts a medical residency at Brown University in Providence, R.I. A boys' treble choir from Saint Paul's Choir School performed at the Vatican and got to ride with Pope Francis in the Popemobile in April 2023. (Saint Paul's Choir School) Saint Paul's Choir School More recently, Baltazar Etcheverry was among a group of students from Saint Paul's Choir School who traveled to Rome in April 2023, and got to spend a day with Pope Francis. The late Pope greeted every student individually and held Baltazar's face in his hand. The trip was organized by Juan Cruz Villalon, an Argentina priest who was friends with both Pope Francis and the Etcheverry family. Advertisement Baltazar, who goes by 'Balty,' said meeting Pope Francis strengthened his Christian faith, and inspired him to be kind to people of all faiths and beliefs. Balty's parents, Martin and Asuncion, are from Argentina, and their son personally brought the country's popular alfajores cookies as a gift for Pope Francis. When Balty, 12, learned Monday Pope Francis had died, he was shocked. 'It hit me that we just lost a leader, a big light, and it impacted a lot of people,' Balty said. Kelley Tuthill got to see Pope Francis give Easter mass in Saint Peter's Square the day before he died. (Kelley Tuthill) Kelley Tuthill During their April 2023 visit, Balty and other treble choir singers got to ride in the Popemobile through Saint Peter's Square, and everyone, including many non-Christians who attend the music school, were moved by Pope Francis' interpersonal kindness, Balty said. While riding, Pope Francis stopped to kiss every baby in Saint Peter's Square and gave everyone personalized attention, Balty said. 'It will continue to influence me as long as I live, and it's a reminder to be like him, to be humble and treat others how they want to be treated,' Balty said. Messages of compassion also shone down from the Pope during Mass the day before he died, said Tuthill, who said Pope Francis preached against discrimination during the Easter Mass. 'His last moments were to tell us we need to have a little less hate in the world, begging us all to be better and be in a better world by being more kind, more peaceful,' Tuthill said. Pope Francis' funeral Mass will take place on Saturday morning in St. Peter's Square. Claire Thornton can be reached at
