Pope Leo received a unique GAA jersey during a recent gathering at the Vatican held for the Jubilee of Sport celebration.
Catherine Hallinan and Niamh Ryan are originally from Ireland, while Katie Molloy hails from New York, reports RTE.
The three women are part of the Rome Hibernia Gaelic Athletic Association and have made Rome their home for several years.
They were overjoyed when the Pope noticed them among the crowd and were lucky enough to secure front row spots for the event, reports RTE.
Ms Molloy shared how he acknowledged the trio: “We were able to pass on our special Jubilee of Sport jersey.
We got the Jubilee logo printed on the sleeve, written ‘as gaeilge’,” reports RTE.
Ms Ryan, a teacher from Ballybricken in County Limerick, has had a distinguished GAA journey representing her native county.
“For me, the GAA lives out the Jubilee of Sport theme through its strong emphasis on teamwork, which helps bring people together,” reports RTE.
“We have six different languages on our team so the game unites this group of people together, despite your background or wherever you come from,” she added, reports RTE.
Ms Hallinan, a native of Clonmel in Tipperary, believes sport and faith are deeply connected. “There are as many GAA pitches as churches in Ireland,” she quipped before continuing.
“The GAA and our religion went hand in hand in keeping the Irish identity alive through a long, and at times, troubled history,” she added, reports RTE.
She feels the GAA remains just as vital in today’s world.
“Sport brings people together from all walks of life and our men and women’s teams travel all around Europe competing,” she said, reports RTE.
Ms Hallinan said it was heartwarming to hear Pope Leo acknowledge Ireland in his greetings. She noted that with his new jersey, he’s now an honorary member of the GAA!
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