“This morning I got up at half past six, because I was making my First Holy Communion at the Pope’s chapel at the Vatican @ 7:30 Mass. Eunice, Pat, Jack Daddy & Mr. Galeazzi went with me. I wore a white tie, a white bow on my left arm, my blue suit & long black stockings & black shoes. When we got to the place, we went up on the lift & then we went into a room that I had never been in before & we left our coats there. Then right off this room was a little Chapel. This is where the Pope says Mass every day. It was terribly small, and only 5 of us were allowed in there, because it was so small. We got there a little while before Mass, so we all prayed. Soon the Pope came in and he put on all his vestments right in the Chapel, in front of the altar. Then he said Mass. He was all dressed in red and white. At Communion, the Pope came down to your seat and gave us all Holy Communion. Then he went back to the altar & finished Mass. After Mass, one of the 3 Nuns who were there brought out a present for me on a plate & put it on a chair & then she touched the Holy Father’s arm & I guess he knew that she had gotten the present alright. So then he went over & got it & gave it to me. He made the sign of the Cross on my forehead and said ‘Keep this for a souvenir, and be good & pious during your life.’ It was a lovely silver rosary and he blessed it right in front of us. He spoke for a while to Eunice & Pat about how good they were to come from Naples to be at His Mass, but I didn’t pay much attention because he wasn’t talking to me. Then the Pope went out, & we started out too, but soon the one that served Mass, came up to us and gave me the candle and lily that had been burning in front of my seat all during Mass. Daddy said he was going to have the lily waxed so that it would last. Then we went back to the Excelsior Hotel and Jack took some pictures of me…”

EXCERPT FROM TEDDY’S DIARY, MARCH 16, 1939