Teen receives birthday blessing from Pope Leo XIV in Rome

TULSA, Oklahoma — An Oklahoma teen marked his 18th birthday with a once-in-a-lifetime moment, receiving a personal blessing from Pope Leo XIV during a family trip to Rome.

Braden Cusick, who turned 18 on Aug. 5, said he had one goal for his birthday: "I knew I wanted to see the Pope on my birthday."

Cusick and his family woke up early and headed to the Vatican, securing seats near the aisle to increase their chances of meeting the Pope.

"I was just in the video. You can see me, my hand shaking," Cusick said, describing the moment Pope Francis approached him.

Cusick said people around him encouraged him to speak up when the pope came near. "I had people who had been there multiple times next to me say, 'You, you have to tell him it's your birthday. You have to ask him to bless your birthday.'"

When the moment arrived, Cusick said, "I was like, Holy Father, it's my birthday."

The pope responded warmly, saying, "Oh, happy birthday," before asking Cusick how old he was and where he was from.

"He knew, like, Oklahoma City, Tulsa. He knew that, and I thought that was really cool that he just knew where we were from," Cusick said.

The pope also gifted Cusick a rosary, adding to the unforgettable experience.

"I could barely open the rosary box to see because I was like, still shaking from meeting him because I could not believe it," Cusick said.

Now back home and starting his senior year at Verdigris High School, Cusick said his classmates have been eager to hear about his experience.

"I've had a lot of people on school day that asked me how it was, like what I was doing, how did I get to meet the pope?" Cusick said.

Reflecting on the moment, Cusick said, "It was an unbelievable experience."

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