Republican State Representative Mike Bayham from Saint Bernard Parish had the thrill of a lifetime as he met Pope Leo the XIV at the Vatican. Bayham says he gave the first American-born pontiff a copy of a state resolution congratulating him on becoming the head of the Catholic church.
“Not only, you know, congratulated him for being the first American Pope, but also recognizing his New Orleans roots, which you know he appreciated,” Bayham said.
Pope Leo XIV’s grandparents on his mother’s side got married and lived in the New Orleans 7th Ward before moving to Chicago. Bayham also gifted Pope Leo a glass oyster shell, a symbol of St Bernard’s rich commercial fishing heritage.
“You could see him take a look at it with this little smile and a little bit of curiosity, because Popes get so many gifts from all over the world, and this is unique,” Bayham said.
Bayham says he asked the Holy Father to keep St. Bernard Parish in his prayers and prayers for his mother Kathy Gomez and a woman who works at the State Capitol who is undergoing experimental treatment for an aggressive form of cancer.
Bayham went to Holy Cross High School in New Orleans and says when you have one on one time with the pope you need to make the most of the opportunity.
“As a Roman Catholic, it was a tremendous honor to meet the Pope, particularly the first American Pope, Bayham said.
