Pope Leo XIV celebrated a link back to his Delaware County past when he put on a Villanova University baseball hat that was presented to him as a gift from the National Italian American Foundation, writes Hayden Mitman and the Associated Press for NBC Philadelphia.
The Holy Father is a Villanova graduate who immediately put the hat on, sporting a grin, before addressing the gathering.
The 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church was born Robert Francis Prevost and graduated from Villanova University in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.
“Your work to continue to educate young people regarding Italian culture and history, as well as providing scholarships and other charitable assistance in both countries, helps to maintain a mutually beneficial and concrete connection between the two nations,” Pope Leo said.
“A hallmark of many who emigrated to the United States from Italy was their Catholic faith, with its rich traditions of popular piety and devotions that they continued to practice in their new nation.
“This faith sustained them in difficult moments, even as they arrived with a sense of hope for a prosperous future in their new country,” the pope told the crowd.
Read more about Pope Leo XVI’s visit with the NAIF at NBC Philadelphia.
