Two Boston College students studying abroad in Europe got quite a
souvenir while they stood among a papal audience in St. Peter’s Square
on Wednesday.
BC juniors Ethan Mack and Katie Rich arrived early to find a spot on
the perimeter of the barricade.
They were hoping to give Pope Francis a
personalized gift, a white zucchetto that they had purchased from a
nearby store.
They placed a note inside the cap that said: “Boston
College Loves our Jesuit Pope!”
Boston College, of course is a Jesuit University.
As Pope Francis passed by, Mack extended his arm out with the skull
cap.
The pope saw it and sent a guard over to the students to bring to
him.
“Pope Francis put our zuchetto in his to check the sizes, and then
gave his old one to the guard,” Mack said in an email.
“The Pope then
gave a nod and smiled right at us. He took off with the one I bought and
the guard gave us his original one.”
Mack says he actually had heard stories from friends who had done the
same, so he was at least hopeful that the Pope would do the same for
him.
The zucchetto that Mack & Rich gave to Pope Francis cost them
50 Euro, which they say was well worth it.