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June 21, 2019By Susan Bailey | CFP Correspondent
Stephen Sullivan, a Northborough policeman, and Frankie Mueller, an ICU nurse at UMass Memorial Hospital, were married May 4 at St. Rose of Lima Parish in Northborough. The wedding was presided over by the pastor, Father James A. Houston (with assistance from two Benedictine monks from St. Anselm College, the couple’s alma mater). St. Rose has been the home parish of the bride and will continue to be the couple’s parish. The church has proven to be a catalyst for the couple’s relationship.
“Frankie occasionally sings at the 11:30 Sunday morning Mass,” said Mr. Sullivan. “Prior to dating, I surprise-visited Frankie to hear her sing on May 22, 2016, where I fell in love with her.”
The Sullivans chose Rome for their honeymoon.
“We had heard that Rome is a wonderful city to visit and had never traveled out of the country together,” said Mr. Sullivan. Both devout cradle Catholics, they used their time in Rome to deepen their faith by visiting several churches and religious sites. “Our honeymoon doubled as a pilgrimage,” he said.
One of those sites was St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Mrs. Sullivan had long-held a dream of attending a papal audience.
“I had seen pictures and heard stories on social media of newlyweds meeting the pope in Rome years before I began dating Stephen,” said Mrs. Sullivan. “I always kept this in the back of my mind, and mentioned it to Stephen when we started planning our honeymoon. This was our main reason for going to Rome. We knew that this was probably the closest we would ever get to meeting Pope Francis and wanted to jump on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The objective was to receive a “Sposi Novelli” or “Newlywed Blessing” from the Pope.
Obtaining tickets to the papal audience proved to be quite simple.
“We knew we needed to be married for 2 months or less to attend the blessing and needed a copy of our marriage certificate,” said Mrs. Sullivan. After emailing the Bishops’ Office for United States Visitors to the Vatican, the couple received instructions on how to secure the tickets. On the day of the papal audience they arrived at St. Peter’s Square in their wedding attire and were seated by the Swiss guards in a section reserved for newlyweds.
Mrs. Sullivan had carefully prepared for the possibility of exchanging a personal greeting with the pope.
“Generally, the pope is only able to greet the first row of newlyweds and the day we attended, the number of couples went two or three rows back!” she said. “Knowing this, Stephen and I said a novena to St. Francis a few months before our honeymoon, praying that, if God willed it, we would get a personal greeting with Pope Francis. We happened to be in the right place at the right time and with a little observation and quick moving, we were able to get in the front row to get a personal greeting with the pope.”
The dream of a lifetime was coming true.
“As Pope Francis came around, we introduced ourselves, told him where we were from and that we were praying for him,” said Mrs. Sullivan. “He gave us a personal blessing and said to us, ‘Pray for me, don’t forget!’ It felt as though everything stopped and that we were the only people in the square.”
That momentous day has given the couple much upon which to reflect.
“To be standing so close to him and holding his hands was so surreal for me and something that I think we are both still processing,” said Mrs. Sullivan. “To pray for such an important figure in our church one day and then to meet him the next was truly humbling. We are so thankful for our experience and hope that our story may serve as an inspiration for others, especially newlyweds who are just starting their lives together. Attending the papal audience and seeing so many visitors in the Vatican is living proof that our Catholic faith is very much alive.”
The couple perceived the blessing as an affirmation of their marriage.
“The opportunity stems from saying ‘yes’ to the vocation of married life that we both felt called to and toward each other,” said Mr. Sullivan. “Since we wouldn’t have met the pope alone, it is important to recognize that we had to have each other in order to meet him.”
He saw the efforts the two had taken to obtain the blessing as recognition of the importance of teamwork in their marriage.
“For the pope to bless our marriage and us specifically is a very humbling experience that I do not take for granted,” said Mr. Sullivan. “It is important and easy for me to remind myself that this blessing was not a ticket to heaven, but instead a blessing to help me love Frankie the way God wants me to love Frankie, and to help her get to heaven.”
Now back home and settling into their routine, the Sullivans remain active members of the St. Rose of Lima community.
“This is where Frankie grew up and received her sacraments,” said Mr. Sullivan. “We hope to continue helping St. Rose in some of the ways we have participated in the last three years.” The couple have helped out with baptismal preparation (along with the bride’s mother, Karen Mueller) and have given witness talks to the youth ministry group. And Mrs. Sullivan still sings at the 11:30 Mass, from time to time.
The couple credits family and friends who share their beliefs for strengthening their faith.
“We make it a point to attend Mass and pray regularly,” said Mrs. Sullivan, “but having a strong community is so important to us, especially since being Catholic can be challenging in today’s society.”
‘Our honeymoon doubled as a pilgrimage.’
Stephen Sullivan
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Newlyweds Frankie and Stephen Sullivan of Northborough greet Pope Francis during a general audience in St. Peter’s Square.
