Giovonna Rion Harmon ’14
On December 11, 2013, Pope Francis accepted a handmade, heart-shaped card from Walsh University students studying in Rome, Italy. It was the same day he was named Time Magazine’s 2013 “Person of the Year.” The Walsh group was in attendance of the general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
It was 6 a.m., on December 11, 2013, and I was on a crowded train holding an extra-large, cardboard heart over my head as we traveled from Castel Gandolfo to Rome, Italy.
But the story really started the night before. My friend Katie Wagner ’14 and I were watching videos on our computer of Pope Francis in preparation for our trip to St. Peter’s Square the next morning. We were a part of the Fall 2013 Rome Experience Global Learning trip with our Professor Dr. Connie Smith and had been in Rome since October with a group of our fellow education students. (A little side note: this would be our second time in the audience presence of the Pope during the trip. Katie and I had attended Holy Vespers the weekend before and had gotten so close to Pope Francis, we swore it had been a once in a lifetime opportunity. We had no idea what the next day would bring.)
While watching the video clips, we noticed that if people in the audience tried to hand something to the Pope, he would take it. I had this crazy idea that we should do the same.
I asked Danilo Mori (Walsh’s Rome Site Coordinator) if that was something we were allowed to do. I remember him looking at me and he sort of chuckled and said, “Well, you can try. But I don’t know if this is going to work.” That was all the encouragement we needed.
So we got to work making this giant heart card. I remember using these glue glitter pens on part of the card, and then we asked everyone to sign it and write him a message. On the back of the card, we wrote letter inviting Pope Francis to join us for dinner at Castel Gandolfo while we stayed in Italy.
The next day, we woke up very early to take the train into Rome. The glitter wasn’t even dry yet and the train was packed! I had to hold the card over my head the entire train ride to try to keep it safe. I was worried someone was going to smear it.
We made it to the Vatican and ended up with a really good spot near the barricades. We were about two rows behind where the Pope was set to drive through with his motorcade. I was nervous because we didn’t know if we were close enough to hand it to him. There was a very nice couple waiting in front of us, and they asked me about the card. We ended up talking, and we discovered a personal connection. My grandfather had come to the U.S. from Sicily and I found out this couple was from the same area. If it hadn’t been for them, the card exchange wouldn’t have happened.
When the Pope came through, his motorcade stopped in front of us. The couple started talking to the guards and told them what I wanted to do. Then they pushed me in front of them and the guard said “For the Papa?” And I answered “Si, Si!”
He took the card from me, and he handed it to the Pope, who looked at me and just smiled. He was waving and holding it up. It was surreal. We were all taking pictures and it really didn’t seem like it was happening. I turned around and the whole Walsh group was behind me taking pictures, and we were all so excited. I mean, the Pope had our names on a card, and he was reading it! It was amazing.
When we got back to the Castel Gandolfo campus, I was exhausted and went to take a nap. Not long after, there was a knock on my door and to my surprise, people were calling from the United States. I even had requests for media interviews! What we didn’t know was that back in the States, Pope Francis had just been named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year. Talk about timing! I just couldn’t believe how quickly our photo had spread around the world.
Later that year, Walsh presented Katie and I with a framed photo of Pope with our card. I have it hanging in my home now. My grandma framed the newspaper article and it’s hanging in my parent’s home. I admit, I also have the photo saved to my phone so it’s with me wherever I go.
Sometimes it still doesn’t feel real. The experience really shaped me. Whenever I’m nervous or about to try something new, I can still hear Danilo in my head saying, “well, you can try…but I don’t know.”
I think of the Pope holding our card, and all the joy that moment has given to not only me, but others, over the years. And then I tell myself go ahead and try…just see what happens.