1 in 450 Million: How a Register Writer Beat the Odds to Meet Pope Leo

November 12, 2025 World News

On Nov. 5, Roxane Salonen, accompanied by her husband Troy, shows Pope Leo her co-authored book, ‘What Would Monica Do?’ (about prayerful perseverance when loved ones fall away from the faith), and asks the Pope to pray for all the ‘Monica moms and dads.’ Roxane also showed and gave Leo a copy of the article she wrote on his connection with her hometown of Fargo, North Dakota.

Our chances of meeting this Holy Father should have been no more than any other pope in our lifetime. And yet, it happened.