By: OSV News
A New Haven, Ind., grandfather’s handmade gift makes its way from a parish hobby to the hands of the first American pope
OSV News) — About two weeks after what he calls the most surreal moment of his life, Kevin Workman remains in awe.
That’s no embellishment. After all, imagine being a humble non-celebrity living a quiet life as a devoted family man and suddenly realizing that Pope Leo XIV actually knows your name and possesses something you created just for him.
“It’s just amazing,” Workman told OSV News. “Absolutely blown away.”
Workman, a 65-year-old human resources manager who resides in New Haven, Ind., became a Catholic in 1981. He married his wife, Julie, in 1982, and together they have raised eight children and welcomed 19 grandchildren, with No. 20 due in March.
Seven years ago, Workman began making rosaries as a hobby, giving them away at his parish, St. Peter’s, on the southeast side of Fort Wayne. He later expanded his craft by learning to make wire rosaries and eventually began selling them online, where Notre Dame fans became some of his most devoted customers.
“They’ve been sold to every state in the country,” Workman said.
Earning some spending money was never the main objective.
“I feel that the state of the world today needs many, many prayers, and the rosary is the most powerful prayer,” Workman said. “I feel it has become a mission of mine that has developed through opportunities and grace.”
Then, on April 18, came the request of his life.
“Catholic Athletes for Christ” commissioned Workman to create a Chicago White Sox-themed rosary intended specifically for the pope. After a few arm pinches to assure himself that he wasn’t dreaming, Workman immediately and emphatically embraced the assignment.
A gift reaches Rome
On June 24, Workman’s meticulously completed work reached the Vatican through a visit by former Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Along with presenting Workman’s rosary, Pierzynski gifted the pope, an ardent White Sox fan, the baseball from the final out of Game 1 of the 2005 World Series.
Then known simply as Father Robert Prevost, the future Pope Leo had attended the White Sox’s 5-3 victory over the Houston Astros in person. Four days later, on Oct. 26, 2005, he celebrated his beloved White Sox’s first World Series championship since 1917.
Workman said he was “in tears” when he first learned the rosary had reached the pope.
“This is the biggest thing that’s ever happened in my little world,” Workman said.
After he met with the pope, Pierzynski spoke with The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal and recounted the experience.
“I know he was at the game. It was just sitting on my wall,” said Pierzynski, a colleague of Rosenthal’s at Fox Sports and the Foul Territory Network. “I was like, ‘It’s better at the Vatican with him than sitting on my wall.’ I figured it was the perfect thing.”
Pope Leo reacted with visible excitement after receiving the baseball from Pierzynski.
“Oh my gosh,” Pierzynski said. “He was like, ‘This is unbelievable.’ He was like, ‘No way, this is the ball?’ And he literally said, ‘I was at Game 2, too. But nobody knows that. They didn’t find me.'”
Before leaving, Pierzynski reminded the pope that the White Sox have enjoyed quite a resurgence after several disappointing seasons.
“It was kind of as I was walking away, I said, ‘Hey, White Sox are in first place,'” Pierzynski said. “He just looked at me and goes, ‘Oh, I’m watching and paying attention, don’t worry.’ And he just kind of smiled at me.”
Workman hopes to receive a photo of Pope Leo receiving the rosary. If not, the unfathomable course of events will suffice.
“To think the pope is going to be using my rosary to pray,” Workman said, “just boggles my mind.”
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John Knebels writes for OSV News from suburban Philadelphia.