Have you ever had a “Godwink”? This family had an adorable one!

Sometimes leaps of faith come together in one grace-filled encounter: That's how we could describe the precious, adorable meeting of "Stitch," Pope Leo, and in some sense, the whole communion of saints.

First meet three-year-old Samuel, a rambunctious boy nicknamed “Stitch.”

When his parents said they were going to take him on a family trip to Rome, friends and family were dubious. But his parents followed a prompting from the Holy Spirit and planned a Jubilee trip with him and his siblings.

“He's active, he’s spirited, he tends to be a runner, to be honest,” his mother Jessica says of Samuel. But in the end, “We ultimately discerned that we really felt called to bring him specifically.”

"We have several friends in ministry [...] and everyone in our lives refers to our sweet Samuel as Stitch (from Lilo and Stitch) - it’s not that he wants to be in trouble, it's he often finds himself in trouble," Jessica explained. "He’s a little tornado and has been my hardest to parent by far!"

Now meet Carlin, a mom-of-many who needed to leave her previous job to care for her little ones. But, she also needed to help support her family. Using her talent for craft as a creative outlet, she had already gotten into making peg dolls for fun.

It just so happened that Samuel’s mom Jessica is friends with Carlin and requested that she make some "timely" peg dolls that they could take with them to Rome: St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Carlo Acutis, and Pope Leo!

This past July, Carlin started an Instagram account, posting, “When your friends finally convince you to sell the peg dolls you’ve been making just for fun …”

It was only a matter of weeks before both the spirited Samuel and a newly designed peg doll not only made it to Rome, but also met the Pope himself.

In August, Carlin posted, “Saturday mornings = coffee, babies at my feet, and paintbrush in hand. From kitchen table chaos to peg dolls bound for the Vatican …”

Jessica knew that the Holy Father sometimes gives special greetings to children from the crowds at papal events. But she had no idea Samuel would be chosen!

Like many others, during their Roman pilgrimage they went to a papal event. They positioned themselves in St. Peter’s Square as close to the barriers as the could, hoping to see the Pope up close if he passed by.

When the Pope did come by -- in the vehicle affectionately known as the popemobile -- the Swiss Guards spotted little Samuel. They carried little "Stitch" over to the vehicle and lifted him up.

Pope Leo’s back was towards him as he was greeting crowds on the opposite side of the aisle.

But when the Pope turned around, there was Samuel right in front of him. Jessica said Pope Leo looked surprised to suddenly be face to face with a little boy in his car.

Both the Pope and the little boy smiled, as Samuel opened his hand to give Pope Leo a present. Pope Leo examined the gift and found that it was a peg doll … of himself!

The son that the Krehels were discouraged from bringing to the Eternal City got to meet the Pope! A peg doll from a fledgling business of a mom dedicated to her family and faith is now in the possession of the Vicar of Christ on earth.

“The Lord is so faithful,” Jessica shared. “To have the prompting to bring the family here all together. The Lord honored us for following him.”