Marcela Pariona is the mother of Miguel Ángel, the baby Pope Francis baptized at Rome's Gemelli Hospital in March. Months later, she and her three children made a special gesture to the Pope after his operation.
MARCELA PARIONA
Mother of Miguel Ángel
It's like going to visit a family member, that's how I felt and that's how my children felt. So, we got down to work. We went to buy cardboard and printed the photos. The kids began to write their notes. We bought roses and we put it all together ourselves.
The family went to the hospital and made it to the 10th floor when the security guard stopped them and told them that they could not visit the Pope. On the way home, they received an unexpected call.
MARCELA PARIONA
Mother of Miguel Ángel
The best part of all this is that one day before my birthday I get the big call. His Holiness called me.
For me to hear hm say, 'This is Pope Francis speaking,' was so nerve wracking because I didn't know what to call him: pope or His Holiness. I was nervous. I thanked him for the call. I asked him if he could give me permission to come and visit him. He told me that as soon as he recovered we would meet, and he would get in touch with me. So, we are waiting for him.
Marcela says the reason they are so clsoe to the Pope is because he is Miguel Ángel's godfather. But she still painfully remembers that they met the Pope during the baby's hospitalization.
MARCELA PARIONA
Mother of Miguel Ángel
I knelt down. Through tears, I asked God to help me with my son. I also prayed to God for strength because sometimes the body can't give any more—the soul can, but the body sometimes gets tired.
It was not easy, but it was beautiful. It's very beautiful and very rewarding because nobody has had the privilege to have their child baptized by the Pope. Honestly, no one.
Miguel Ángel was hospitalized after falling from a stroller. And his condition was bleak. He had a blood clot and a skull fracture. Now, he has almost completely recovered. At just over two months old, Miguel Ángel weighs about 15 pounds.
PA
TR: KG
