Pope Leo’s NEW White Sox Surprise and His Green Chicago Vestments

A remarkable gift from Cardinal Cupich to Paul Konerko highlights the surprising bond between the 2005 White Sox and Pope Leo, who attended Game 1 of the World Series as a fan. Plus, we explore the Chicago-made vestments the pope wore for his inaugural Mass for environmental stewardship. Later, Pope Leo leads the Angelus from Castel Gandolfo for the first time in twelve years, delivering a passionate call for a “revolution of love.”Portions of this program were made with the help of AI. While no one truly knows what happens behind closed doors, we've tried our best to capture the story, taking dramatic license when necessary to create this entertainment series based on true events.



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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Callaroga Shark Media. A remarkable connection between baseball history and
papal leadership created a special moment during the Chicago White
Sox's twentieth anniversary celebration of their two thousand and five
World Series championship. Former White Sox star Paul Konerko received

(00:25):
an extraordinary gift that highlighted the unique bond between Chicago's
beloved team and its most famous fan. Cardinal Blase Kupich,
who serves as the Archbishop of Chicago, presented Konerko with
a jersey which displayed Konerko's surname along with Pope Leo,
positioned above the number fourteen, symbolizing the shared numerical connection

(00:47):
between the baseball legend and the leader of the Catholic Church. Konerko,
who earned six All Star selections during his career, expressed
amazement at receiving such an unusual and meaningful gift. He
described the experience as surreal and joked that his mother
would likely claim the jersey for herself once she learned
about it. The future Pope's connection to the team's historic

(01:11):
championship run was particularly significant during the two thousand and
five World Series opener against Houston prevost was actually in
attendance at the ballpark. He occupied Section one hundred forty
Row nineteen, Seat two, watching as the White Sox defeated
the Astros five to three in what would become the
opening game of a four game sweep. Kuonerko's response to

(01:34):
receiving the papal gift showed both humility and humor. He
mentioned plans to reciprocate by signing a jersey to sent
to Pope Leo, though he doubted the Pontiff would be
as excited to receive his signature as he was to
receive the papal autograph. When Pope Leo celebrated his inaugural
Mass for environmental Stewardship on July ninth, the beautiful green

(01:56):
vestments he wore for this special liturgy came from an unexpected,
book meaningful source his hometown of Chicago. The House of Hanson,
a liturgical goods company that has been serving clergy since
nineteen oh eight, created the stunning vestments worn by Pope
Leo and his conceelebrants during this historic celebration. Pope Leo

(02:17):
wore a magnificent deep green brocade chasseble that perfectly matched
the liturgical colour requirements. The vestment featured intricate golden brocade
or free which is the vertical band running along the
front of the garment. This was beautifully bordered by green
and gold knotted embroidery patterns and topped with a circular yoke.

(02:37):
Gerard Aarons, who owns and operates the House of Hanson
alongside his wife Ellen, revealed that he already possessed Pope
Leo's measurements from previous work. The pontiff had been a
customer during his time as a bishop, particularly when he
served in Peru. Urns recalled a particularly memorable encounter from
about a year and a half earlier, when the future

(02:58):
Pope visited his stew During that visit, which lasted approximately
thirty minutes, the then archbishop mentioned his upcoming appointment to
Rome as a cardinal. He spoke about having a position there,
though he was modest about the significance of the role.
The recent Vatican order required quick turnaround time, which presented
both challenges and opportunities for the Chicago based company. The

(03:22):
original design had to receive Vatican approval before production could begin,
adding an extra layer of complexity to the process. A
dedicated team of approximately ten seamstresses and tailors worked on
site to assemble the vestments, all of whom were excited
to be creating garments for the pontiff. The fabric chosen

(03:43):
was an ecclesiastical damasque by the brand Da Vinci, which
featured subtle crosses surrounded by what resembled crown of thorns patterns.
Upon completion, the vestments were personally couried to the Vatican
by a priest, insuring their safe and respectful delivery. As
Aaron's humorously noted, this was not a job for standard

(04:03):
shipping services. The House of Hanson has a distinguished history
of serving prominent Catholic leaders. They have provided vestments for
the late Chicago Cardinal Francis George and continue to serve
current customers, including Chicago Cardinal Blasell Coupitch a New York
Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Interestingly, Aarons revealed that he had received

(04:24):
only one previous order for papal vestments, which came from
a film production company. That order was for a movie
that ultimately went straight to video, though he remembered the
vestments looked impressive on screen. A significant moment in papal
tradition unfolded on Sunday when Pope Leo led the Angelus

(04:48):
Prayer from Castel Gandolfo for the first time in twelve years.
The Angelus prayer took place on a warm but overcast day,
marking the halfway point of Pope Leo's two week summer
retreat the Pontifical estate. In his message before leading the
Marian prayer, Pope Leo focused on the profound concept of

(05:08):
eternal life as an inheritance rather than something to be
earned through force or negotiation. He emphasized that eternal life,
which only God can bestow, comes to us as a
gift from a loving parent to their children. The pontiff
explained that receiving this divine gift requires following God's will,
specifically referencing the fundamental commandments to love God with all

(05:30):
one's heart and to love one's neighbour as one's self.
He stressed that fulfilling these two essential requirements represents our
response to the Father's love. Among the gathered faithful were
touching personal stories of pilgrimage and devotion. One American couple
celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary had traveled to Castel Gandolfo

(05:51):
specifically hoping to receive the Pope's blessing. They expressed joy
at receiving a wave from Pope Leo during his walk
from the local parish to Thecus the Apostolic Palace before
the Angelus. Before delivering the Angelus, Pope Leo celebrated mass
for local Catholics, religious leaders, and civil authorities at the
seventeenth century Pontifical parish of Saint Thomas of Villanova, located

(06:16):
in Castel Gandolfo's Liberty Square. During the mass, the pontiff
reflected on the parable of the Good Samaritan, using this
powerful biblical story to call for what he termed a
revolution of love. He spoke passionately about caring for those
who have been wounded by life's circumstances, describing them as
people who have been stripped, robbed, and pillaged by various

(06:39):
forms of systemic oppression. Pope Leo specifically mentioned victims of
tyrannical political systems, economic structures that force people into poverty,
and wars that destroy both dreams and lives. His message
emphasized the urgent need for compassionate action toward all who suffer,
regardless of their background or circumstances. The pontiff challenged his

(07:02):
listeners to examine their own attitudes toward neighborly love, asking
whether they sometimes content themselves with merely fulfilling basic duties
or limiting their care to those who share their nationality, religion,
or worldview. He pointed out how Jesus revolutionized this narrow
thinking by presenting a Samaritan considered a foreigner and heretic

(07:24):
by many, as the true example of neaborly love. Looking ahead,
Pope Leo announced that he will lead the Angelus again
on July twentieth, before returning to the Vatican for various
Jubilee of Hope events, including special celebrations for Catholic influencers
and youth. The Pope also plans to return to Castel
Gandolfo for three days during the Italian holiday weekend of

(07:47):
Ferragosto August fifteenth through seventeenth, which celebrates the feast of
the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.