Father Ryan Brady never expected an email reply from the new Holy Father. But after Pope Leo XIV was elected, Fr. Brady took “a shot in the dark” and wrote to him, simply to share his joy and his promise of prayers. To his surprise, the Pope responded kindly, personally, and generously, and even arranged a ticket for Fr. Brady to greet him after the general audience on Feb. 11.

Fr. Brady, pastor of St. Christina Parish in Chicago and chaplain to nearly 5,000 members of the Chicago Fire Department, knew he couldn’t arrive empty-handed. “What do you give the man who needs nothing?” he asked. The answer came from home: a Chicago Fire Department chief’s helmet. The white helmet, he noted, is easy to spot at the scene of a fire.

Before his meeting with the Pope, Fr. Brady received an unexpected sign in Rome. Lost on a walk, he found himself at St. Rita’s Church, an Augustinian favorite, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Praying for the intercession of St. Rita, “the patron saint of impossible causes,” he noticed a grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes staring right at him. In that moment, he heard the reassurance in his heart: “All will be well, Ryan, rest easy.”

“That’s the guy who’s in charge. He’s the one that we should follow.” At the top of the front plate, they placed “Pope Leo XIV”, and on the bottom “Chicago”. In the center where an engine company number would go, they placed a cross, because the Pope “stands firmly with Jesus Christ…as he leads the universal church.”

The gift sparked laughter between the Fr. Brady and the Holy Father. “Firemen are putting out fires all the time,” Fr. Brady joked, “and so do popes, apparently.” Pope Leo received the gift with warmth — an example, Fr. Brady said, of being a gracious receiver. We should never “rob someone of the opportunity to be generous,” he explained, because love bears fruit in both the giving and the receiving.

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Father Ryan Brady never expected an email reply from the new Holy Father. But after Pope Leo XIV was elected, Fr. Brady took &ldquo;a shot in the dark&rdquo; and wrote to him, simply to share his joy and his promise of prayers. To his surprise, the Pope responded kindly, personally, and generously, and even arranged a ticket for Fr. Brady to greet him after the general audience on Feb. 11.
Fr. Brady, pastor of St. Christina Parish in Chicago and chaplain to nearly 5,000 members of the Chicago Fire Department, knew he couldn&rsquo;t arrive empty-handed. &ldquo;What do you give the man who needs nothing?&rdquo; he asked. The answer came from home: a Chicago Fire Department chief&rsquo;s helmet. The white helmet, he noted, is easy to spot at the scene of a fire.
Before his meeting with the Pope, Fr. Brady received an unexpected sign in Rome. Lost on a walk, he found himself at St. Rita&rsquo;s Church, an Augustinian favorite, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Praying for the intercession of St. Rita, &ldquo;the patron saint of impossible causes,&rdquo; he noticed a grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes staring right at him. In that moment, he heard the reassurance in his heart: &ldquo;All will be well, Ryan, rest easy.&rdquo;
&ldquo;That&rsquo;s the guy who&rsquo;s in charge. He&rsquo;s the one that we should follow.&rdquo; At the top of the front plate, they placed &ldquo;Pope Leo XIV&rdquo;, and on the bottom &ldquo;Chicago&rdquo;. In the center where an engine company number would go, they placed a cross, because the Pope &ldquo;stands firmly with Jesus Christ&hellip;as he leads the universal church.&rdquo;
The gift sparked laughter between the Fr. Brady and the Holy Father. &ldquo;Firemen are putting out fires all the time,&rdquo; Fr. Brady joked, &ldquo;and so do popes, apparently.&rdquo; Pope Leo received the gift with warmth &mdash; an example, Fr. Brady said, of being a gracious receiver. We should never &ldquo;rob someone of the opportunity to be generous,&rdquo; he explained, because love bears fruit in both the giving and the receiving.
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The best way to listen to the&nbsp;Best of the Week&nbsp;is on our #1 Free Catholic App. It&rsquo;s free, and always will be! To get and share the Relevant Radio app, check it out&nbsp;<a href="https://relevantradio.com/listen/get-the-app/">here</a>.

Life can get busy, and it's easy to miss out on the captivating moments from your favorite Relevant Radio shows. But now, we've got you covered! "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" brings you the crème de la crème of Relevant Radio's programming. We carefully curate and compile the most engaging and relevant content from the past week, just for you! Get ready to catch up on faith, culture, current events, and personal growth, all in one convenient and easily accessible podcast. It's like having a front-row seat to the most compelling moments from Relevant Radio's diverse range of shows. So, whether you're an active Relevant Radio listener or new to our programming, "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" is your passport to a world of knowledge, growth, and inspiration.

Life can get busy, and it's easy to miss out on the captivating moments from your favorite Relevant Radio shows. But now, we've got you covered! "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" brings you the crème de la crème of Relevant Radio's programming. We carefully curate and compile the most engaging and relevant content from the past week, just for you! Get ready to catch up on faith, culture, current events, and personal growth, all in one convenient and easily accessible podcast. It's like having a front-row seat to the most compelling moments from Relevant Radio's diverse range of shows. So, whether you're an active Relevant Radio listener or new to our programming, "The Best of the Week - Relevant Radio Podcast" is your passport to a world of knowledge, growth, and inspiration.