Updated: 05/04/2015 7:26 PM
Created: 05/04/2015 4:35 PM WDIO.com
By: Julie Kruse
jkruse@wdio.com

Some say pictures are worth a thousand words, but for Father Richard Kunst, it’s a signed baseball that left him speechless.

Father Kunst traveled to Rome last week and met Pope Francis, but the Pope also signed his baseball.

“I was on cloud nine. I was pumped,” said Father Kunst. “I am a student of papal history, and the papacy is something that’s my passion, so for the opportunity to converse with the Holy Father is a big deal.”

Although the conversation only lasted a minute and there were some language barriers, a long-awaited moment finally arrived.

Why a baseball?

“The rarity and uncommon nature of it,” said Father Kunst. “You can bring something like this out to people not interested in the faith and a signed baseball would still maybe speak to them a bit.”

Kunst was also able to bring the Pope a DVD copy of the EWTN series that he hosts.

That airs Monday at 5:30 p.m. on the EWTN network.

Listen to Father Kunst’s first homily at his home parish upon his return from Rome. His delight is contained in his words, “I’m still on cloud nine!”