Packing special items that he intended to have blessed during a family trip to Rome and Vatican City, Jose Chavez, Video and Technology Specialist for the diocese, says he knew in his heart that he and his family would have a memorable encounter with Pope Leo XIV.
“I knew before I left, I would have this contact with the pope,” Chavez said. “But I didn’t know it was going to be this much.”
In the early morning of Sept. 3, Chavez and his son departed for St. Peter’s Square to save seats for the Papal General Audience later that day.
“I was there since 5 o’clock in the morning,” Chavez recalled. “When we went to the line, it was huge, there were a lot of people. When we got there, we ran, but all the seats were taken close to the rail where the pope would be. But one rail, I noticed there were 13 spaces. I was able to save 10 seats...So, it was a blessing, it was like those seats were for us.”
Chavez and his family were seated right behind a railing that Pope Leo XIV would drive by in his Popemobile as he entered St. Peter’s Square to greet the audience. When it was time for the Holy Father to drive by to wave to the people, Chavez and his family waited with deep anticipation to see him pass by.
“The Pope came very close to us,” Chavez said. “So, he saw me and then I screamed, ‘Take my baby, take my baby!’ and he took Elenita, he blessed her.”
Chavez, being the videographer he is, filmed the whole encounter, a historic moment that is sure to be passed on in his family for generations to come. The Vatican was also filming the general audience, and in this video, the Vatican also captures this moment with Pope Leo XIV and Elenita. However, in this video, it shows a different angle of the blessing, and it appeared that Pope Leo XIV’s Popemobile had driven just past Chavez and his family. Perhaps hearing Chavez’s pleas, the Pope motions to stop and turn back to have the guard bring the child to be blessed.
Chavez recalled that his wife, Maria, commenting about the dress she would put her daughter in, which was blue and white with a yellow ribbon on the front.
“She said, ‘This one. In this dress, Elenita will be blessed by the Pope,’” Chavez recalls.
The blessings didn’t stop there. Chavez was able to give a bag to a Vatican guard to gift to Pope Leo XIV on behalf of the diocese. At the end of the General Audience, Pope Leo XIV gave a blessing over all those in attendance and for all of their friends and family back home. Also receiving this blessing were the other items that Chavez brought with him that he intended to gift to his family, friends, and diocesan colleagues. The items Chavez brought included Rosaries, Saint Carlo Acutis prayer cards, a personal “Columbia” magazine with Pope Leo XIV on the cover, and two issues of the June 2025 Inland Catholic BYTE special edition on the election of Pope Leo XIV. Chavez said he wishes to give one of the newspapers to the diocese and have it framed so others can view it.
Reflecting on the providential nature of his trip, Chavez admitted, “It’s not the first time that I had this feeling that I could do something like this.”
To view the video of the blessing, please visit the Diocese of San Bernardino YouTube page or by using this link: youtube.com/shorts/Lo_d0o902WA