Philly residents recall meeting the late Pope Francis during his 2015 visit

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphians are remembering the Pope's historic visit to the City of Brotherly Love nearly a decade ago, rejoicing in the memories that forever impacted people's lives.

FOX 29 spoke with some of the folks who have a connection to his 2015 visit to the city. 

What they're saying:

Bobby Hill was just one of the many who were impacted by the pontiff's visit to Philadelphia back in 2015. 

He said he recently prayed for the Pope when he had double pneumonia. Bobby and another local family both say the Pope changed their lives.

Pope Francis gave his blessing

Kristin and Chuck Keating reflected on the death of Pope Francis.

"Like I'm sad, as I remembered a lot of the memories. They were so happy," said Kristin.

"He was such a wonderful man who touched so many lives," Kristin added.

He literally touched theirs in 2015 when he was in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families and walked right up to the Keatings.

"I didn't know what to feel, and then all of a sudden you see him come over and you're like, you couldn't believe it. It was the most unbelievable moment in our lives," Chuck recalled.

Pope Francis blessed their son Michael, then 10 years old, who is living with cerebral palsy.

"Having your son being blessed by the Pope, words can't express the joy. We had tears of joy coming through that day," Kristin said.

Michael is 20 years old now. 

His room in their home is surrounded with Pope Francis memorabilia. The Keatings remember it like it was yesterday. 

It happened after the Pope got off the plane at Philadelphia International Airport. They recall him giving a thumbs up to the Bishop Shanahan High School band chosen to play for his arrival. Chuck is the band director.

"As he passed, somehow Michael got in his view of sight, and he had his drivers stop, and he got out and made a beeline right for Michael. Kristen was there, and he's putting his hand on your hand there, and he gave Michael a blessing, and I came over and shook his hand," Chuck said.

"He cared for everyone, and he saw them. He saw everyone," Chuck added.

Pope Francis recognized Bobby Hill

Another young man got the chance to be seen by Pope Francis.

"My life completely changed that day in the best ways possible. I've had so many opportunities," Bobby Hill said.

Bobby Hill went viral after a solo performance while there to sing with the Keystone State Boychoir.

"I gave him this rock from Antarctica that my boys choir brought back, and he was like, 'Is this for me? Thank you so much,' and I was just like frazzled, and I started walking back, and he gave me a rosary and blessed it," Bobby recalled.

Bobby says years later, a prominent Philadelphia businessperson told him he met the Pope and that Pope Francis asked if he knew "the kid who sang."

"I was like, that's insane. I didn't think he would remember me. He meets thousands and thousands of people, but he asked this guy from Philly about me, and he told him I was in college, and he said the Pope was pleased," Bobby said.

"That just goes to show his humanity and how much he truly cares about people. It's not just lip service," Bobby added.

Pope Francis featured in North Philly mural

The 88-year-old left behind countless blessings on thousands of people, including his impact in Philadelphia, which resulted in a beautiful mural in North Philly.

"Really, the Pope emanates light, and when I woke up this morning, I just felt crestfallen that we had lost something. His legacy lives on, and one small way it lives on is here," said Jane Golden, executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia.

Jane Golden was part of the process in ensuring this gigantic mural on the back wall of St. Malachy School in North Philly would come to life for the papal visit in 2015. Seven thousand people from 19 parishes had a hand in the project.

"Everyone understood that we were passing the brush, giving different types of blue. People talked about this heartfelt honor of a mural that was dedicated to the Pope and all of his glory," Golden explained.

Upon the Pope’s passing, Jane stopped at the historic mural Monday, as did the chief muralist Cesar Viveros.

Pope Francis blessed a pregnant woman's belly

Jane and Cesar stood on the stage with Pope Francis in 2015.

In yet another close connection to Pope Francis, a Catholic diocese staffer who helped plan the World Meeting of Families event in 2015 fondly remembers her meeting.

"One of his bodyguards noticed that I was pregnant and called Pope Francis over, and he touched my belly and said a blessing. I was elated. It was cool," said Stephanie.

Stephanie was seven months pregnant at the time. 

"I felt he saw I was pregnant and made a point to come over, and I feel blessed by it, and I hope he does," she added.

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