Pope Sees Chester County Boy With Cerebral Palsy, Does Something Unforgettable: Reports

A boy from Downingtown with cerebral palsy received a special, impromptu visit from Pope Francis on Saturday, according to multiple media reports.

Chuck Keating, the band director at Downingtown’s Bishop Shanahan High School, was at Philadelphia International Airport to welcome the Pope, according to the Daily Local News.

Keating was with his family, which included his 10-year-old son Michael, who has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair, the Washington Post reported.

As the Pope’s motorcade departed from the Pope’s chartered flight, someone in his car pointed to where Michael Keating was sitting, according to CBS News.

Francis then asked the car to stop, got out, and kissed Michael’s head, blessing him.

“It’s just mindboggling,” Michael’s grandmother, Johanna Keating, told the Daily Local News. “It’s something that will never happen again.”

Photo provided by Joseph Gidjunis from the World Meeting of Families, via AP