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The Associated Press
Boston

Minnetonka student owns a piece of pope's skullcap

Pope Francis
In this May 2013 file photo, Pope Francis holds his zucchetto as he arrives for his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square at the Vatican.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images

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Two Boston College students, one of them from Minnesota, studying in Rome had an up-close encounter with Pope Francis and came away with a treasured souvenir.

• Previously: Pope Francis is Time's Person of the year

Katie Rich of Minnetonka, Minn., and Ethan Mack of Portland, Maine, were along the barricade for an audience with Pope Francis on Wednesday when they held out a white zucchetto -- or skullcap -- they had purchased the day before as his vehicle passed.

Inside was a note that read "Boston College loves our Jesuit Pope!"

The pope had his driver stop and a guard took the skullcap from the juniors at the Jesuit university.

Mack says Pope Francis checked the skullcap for size, nodded and smiled at them, then put it on. He handed the zucchetto he had been wearing to the guard, who gave it to Rich and Mack.