On Oct. 21, 2026, during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, baby Max, the daughter of Stephanie Woods and Joseph Daniel Trygier of St. Leo Parish in Murray, Kentucky, gets to meet Pope Leo XIV. COURTESY OF JOSEPH DANIEL TRYGIER
Murray infant shares special moment with Pope Leo XIV
BY WKC STAFF AND JOSEPH WOODS
A special moment involving parishioners of St. Leo in Murray recently took place in Rome, Italy – with none other than Pope Leo XIV.
Stephanie Woods and Joseph Daniel Trygier were married on Oct. 10, 2026, during a Spanish-language Mass at St. Leo. During their honeymoon in Italy, their infant daughter, Max, had an extraordinary encounter with Pope Leo XIV at the Oct. 21 general audience in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.
Members of the papal security detail brought baby Max to the Holy Father, who personally blessed her. Joseph captured the touching encounter in photographs.
The experience is particularly meaningful for this young Catholic family. Joseph entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil earlier this year, and just six months later, he and Stephanie celebrated their marriage at St. Leo. During their honeymoon, their daughter received a blessing from the first U.S.-born pope, who shares his papal name with their home parish.
The meeting was also underscored by the fact that this was the Pope Leo’s first general audience following a successful surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his right lung. During this audience, the pope spoke on Vatican II document “Gaudium et Spes,” and emphasized the dignity of marriage and the family in light of contemporary challenges.
“Let us, therefore, pray for God’s blessing and protection upon all families,” said the pope.
Joseph Woods serves as the administrative assistant for St. Leo Parish in Murray, Kentucky.
On Oct. 21, 2026, during the general audience in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, baby Max, the daughter of Stephanie Woods and Joseph Daniel Trygier of St. Leo Parish in Murray, Kentucky, gets to meet Pope Leo XIV. COURTESY OF JOSEPH DANIEL TRYGIER
Originally printed in the November 2026 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
