Detroit-area couple shook hands with Pope Leo during honeymoon pilgrimage in Rome, reveling in shared Midwestern roots
ROCHESTER HILLS — Brandon and Gabriella (D’Agostini) Barlog had a blessed 2025, as they got married at Sweetest Heart of Mary Church in Detroit on Sept. 20.
Their year became even more special a few days later, when the newlyweds met Pope Leo XIV in Rome, where the couple spent their honeymoon.
Brandon and Gabriella received a special blessing from His Holiness during a general audience on Oct. 1 as part of the Sposi Novelli (Newlywed couples) pilgrimage, where newlyweds don their wedding garments during a special celebration with the pope.
The couple, who split their time between St. Mary of the Hills Parish in Rochester Hills and Sacred Heart Parish in Auburn Hills, planned to have their honeymoon in Rome and scheduled their wedding around the pilgrimage.
“We had decided we were going to have our honeymoon in Rome, so we planned around this opportunity,” Gabriella Barlog told Detroit Catholic. “After we found out that we would have an opportunity to go on Oct. 1, we just planned our logistics around it.”
It was during Pope Francis’ pontificate when the couple signed up for the pilgrimage through the North American College in Rome — having no idea that by the time they'd meet the Holy Father, the pope would be a compatriot.
“It was a blessing that we would be able to meet Pope Leo, the first American pope,” Gabriella Barlog said. “It was pretty thrilling to able to get the opportunity to meet Pope Leo; we were really grateful to learn that they continued the Sposi Novelli program and we were able to keep our original date.”
Brandon and Gabriella arrived at the North American College the day before to get their tickets and attend an orientation. The next morning, they lined up in St. Peter’s Square at 6 a.m., trying to secure a spot in the front of the group so they were able to shake the pope’s hand.
“I think we ended up shaking Pope Leo’s hand around 1 p.m., so it was a long morning and afternoon,” Gabriella Barlog said. “But we were very committed to give ourselves the best opportunity to have a moment with Pope Leo, and were really grateful to do that.”
With such a large group, Brandon and Gabriella had only a few moments with the pope before he moved down the line, but they were able to give Pope Leo an icon of Blessed Solanus Casey — a bit of Detroit love for the Chicago-born pontiff.
“It was a very brief introduction, and he shook both of our hands, and we handed him the icon,” Brandon Barlog said. “We told him we were from Detroit, and that it was really nice to meet him, and he said it was really nice to meet (us) as well. It was a brief interaction, but you could see him smile and see he appreciated all the gifts. Certainly, the Detroit connection was very special.”
Brandon and Gabriella had rosaries wrapped around their hands when they shook the pope’s hand, so they could gift family members with rosaries touched by the Holy Father.
The couple were able to visit all four major basilicas in Rome, the Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and the Coliseum, but greeting the pope remains a surreal blessing for the young couple.
“Just knowing we had such a similar background to him, coming from the U.S., from the Midwest, we had that immediate connection,” Brandon Barlog said. “Then when we found out he was ordained a deacon in Grosse Pointe, it showed what a small world it is.”
Brandon and Gabriella met in 2023 after being set up on a date through Gabriella’s cousin, who works with Brandon. The two hit it off immediately and knew faith would be a key part of their relationship.
“In meeting Brandon, our Catholic faith was a shared value for us from the start,” Gabriella said. “When we got engaged and were planning our wedding, from the start we wanted to go to Rome and try to make this part of our honeymoon. It’s something we agreed on immediately, and it really was a great way to start our marriage together.
“It was just surreal, beginning our marriage with a blessing from the pope,” Gabriella Barlog added. “Couples should definitely consider taking the opportunity to participate in Sposi Novelli; it was such a positive experience for us.”
