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Mary Keitany recalls her unforgettable 2019 meeting with Pope Francis in Rome, following news of his death on April 21, 2025.
The news of Pope Francis death have struck the world like a thunderbolt.
News of his passing on on Monday, April 21, 2025 are a bitter pill to swallow for the Catholic faithfuls.
However, one lucky person to have met the Pope in Rome was marathoner Mary Keitany.
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The women only world record holder Keitany and her family had a rare opportunity of receiving blessings from Pope Francis in Vatican in Italy in 2019.
Keitany, who is a four-time New York Marathon champion and has several titles under her name, told Nation how her family planned a trip to travel to Italy to attend mass in Rome presided over by Pope Francis.
Keitany reminisces the excitement she had meeting the Pope face on.
"It was a surprise being in Vatican, something interesting I can’t even explain. I thought I would just see him from a distance, but being able to meet him in person and shake his hand was something interesting and I would never forget in my lifetime," Keitany said as per Nation.
"Last time Pope Francis came to Kenya, people travelled from all over the country to Nairobi to attend his mass and you could see him at a distance, but it was great honour to exchange greetings with him."
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Pope Francis was in Kenya in 2015 where he held a mass at the University of Nairobi grounds which was attended by thousands of Catholic faithful. Keitany described how her daughter Assumpta Samantha struck a cordial rapport with Pope Francis.
"When we met Pope Francis, an interesting thing took place because my daughter, Assumpta Samantha Cherop had with her a photo which she brought from home, Kenya. We took it when we had visited a school and it happened on the backdrop of it there was a picture of Pope Francis on the wall.
"When my daughter heard that we were going to Rome, she reminded me of the picture she has taken and told me she would like to gift it to Pope Francis. I packed it for her and when the two met, she asked her name and she responded Assumpta, given to her by Late Bishop Cornelius Korir."
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Keitany continued: "The Pope was excited to receive the present when she mentioned that was the two of them together on the picture."
The Pope is a rare person to see but Keitany meeting him face on, especially in the headquarters of the global's leading religion, remains a moment to be treasured.
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