Match made in heaven: couple on Cloud 9 after Pope blessing

A Winnipeg bride realized a dream of a lifetime when she and her husband received a personal blessing from Pope Leo in Rome.

Bénédicte LeMaître and Stéphan Kosowski, who were married on July 25, got tickets from the Vatican to sit in the “Sposi novelli,” or “newlyweds,” section in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s general audience on July 30.

“It’s been my dream in life to meet a pope,” said LeMaître.

The couple decided to honeymoon in Rome after they learned the Pope would be in the city for the general audience five days after their wedding.

“In summer, the Pope doesn’t always have a general audience on Wednesdays,” she said. “When we heard he would be doing it that day, we wanted to be there.”

To be seated in the newlyweds section, couples have to have been sacramentally married in a Catholic church within the last two months with both bride and groom in their wedding attire.

When the couple arrived at the Square, they were ushered to the section by the Vatican’s Swiss guards. “Our seats were up front very close to the Pope,” said Kosowski. “It was a very big honour.”

The two were among 30 other couples from around the world who sat in the special section that day.

“There were couples from the U.S., Sicily, France, Slovakia and New Zealand sitting near us,” LeMaître said.

During the audience, Pope Leo delivered a catechesis — a teaching about faith — from beneath a large canopy on the steps of St. Peter’s Cathedral, followed by a blessing for attendees.

He concluded by bestowing a special blessing on the newlyweds, and then invited them to come forward for a personal blessing — something the Winnipeggers didn’t expect.

“We told him we were from Canada. He offered a blessing on us for a happy and unified marriage together … it was astounding to be invited to meet him one-on-one,” she said.

“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Kosowski. “I still can’t believe it happened.”

A Vatican reporter took photos, and afterwards the couple bought several.

“A few people who saw them asked if they were real, not artificial intelligence,” LeMaître said with a laugh. “It just seemed too good to be true.”

John Acosta of the Archdiocese of Winnipeg was thrilled for the couple.

“I celebrate that moment with Bénédicte and Stéphan,” said Acosta, who directs pastoral care, including supporting those considering marriage. “It’s so great they knew about this opportunity and were able to get this special blessing from the pope.”

While not all newlyweds can get a personal blessing from a pontiff — Acosta isn’t aware of any others from the archdiocese who have — every marriage is special since it is “a vocation, just like becoming a priest, and visible sign of God’s love for the world,” he said.

Acosta is aware of the most recent Statistics Canada information from the 2021 census that shows more than 20 per cent of Canadians live common law. He realizes that includes many Catholics.

“That is a trend in recent years,” he said, adding the experience of LeMaître and Kosowski in Rome highlights the importance of marriage in the eyes of the church.

“Any Catholic can get married in the church, even if they haven’t gone to services for a long time,” he said. “We welcome them to reach out to us.”

The archdioceses of Winnipeg and St. Boniface are offering a workshop on marriage for newly married couples on Oct. 4 at St. Boniface Cathedral. Called Come and See, it will provide ideas and resources for couples to help them grow in their marriage. More information can be found here.

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