He Received the Pope's Blessing

Peter Osgood, senior at The Catholic University of America, has every reason to smile. Here he stands with a papal medallion he received from the Pope's secretary yesterday at CUA. That's not all he received.

Osgood was the winner of the CUA Essay Contest. As the winner, he was given the opportunity to meet Pope Benedict when he came to campus yesterday. Osgood met Pope Benedict and gave him a bouquet of white and yellow roses. University President Father David O'Connell introduced Osgood and explained to the Holy Father that Osgood was going on to medical school, to be a surgeon.

"The Pope smiled and said, 'Going to medical school. That's great,'" said Osgood.

Then Osgood and Father O'Connell asked the Pope if he would bless Osgood's hands. If you watched the encounter on television or here at the website, you saw the Holy Father make the Sign of the Cross over Osgood's hands.

"To encounter the servant of God means so much to me," said Osgood afterward. "It was wonderful. I can tangibly feel the ministry of God in my life."

-- Tim Drake (Photo credit: Tim Drake, National Catholic Register)

Comments

[Miss Heather]

A picture of (to quote Mr. Hoopes) the "coin-thingy". Nice reporting job, gentlemen. I was dying to see what the gifts were. You guys must be Catholic or something....ask and you shall receive ;)