MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Barry Dean, a native of Wetumpka, met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican last week and received an apostolic blessing for the Association of Catholic Coaches and Athletes (ACCA).
Walking into St. Peter’s Basilica can be overwhelming, with crowds of people gathered to hear from the worldwide leader of the Catholic Church. However, meeting the pope, Dean said, was a different experience.
“I did get emotional when everybody stood up and I said, ‘I’m going to get to meet him,’” Dean said. “I really thought I was going to lose it, tears-wise.”…