Ash Wednesday solemn for Denton County family whose son was blessed by Pope Francis

On this Ash Wednesday, Catholics around the world are thinking of Pope Francis, who has been hospitalized for more than two weeks with a severe lung infection.

That health battle is weighing especially heavy on a Denton County family whose son was blessed by the Pope at the Vatican as a baby.

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For Gloria Mendoza and her family, faith is everything – the Catholic couple has traveled the globe on mission trips, but on Wednesday night, they were back at their home church, Saint Mark in Argyle.

“We came to receive our ashes to get ready for the Lent season,” said Mendoza.

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Since Valentine’s Day, Pope Francis has been hospitalized with pneumonia, with his condition repeatedly becoming critical.

“He’s very important for us, obviously, for personal reasons,” said Agustin Quezada, Mendoza’s husband.

Nearly 11 years ago, Gloria and Agustin took their five-month-old son Santiago to the Vatican, joining the crowd of hundreds who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square to watch Pope Francis deliver blessings.

“Our highest hope was that we could have Pope Francis in the same frame as Santiago,” said Mendoza.

Suddenly, the Pope motioned his guards to bring Santiago to him.

Pope Francis blessed the baby, kissing him on the forehead before returning Santiago to his parents, who were left in tears and shock.

“It was surreal, it’s unexplainable,” said Mendoza. “It gave us this sense of hope and peace, that everything was the way it was meant to be.”

Now in sixth grade, Santiago told NBC 5 that pictures of that moment still brought him comfort on days when life felt overwhelming.

“I think that I’m a very special kid to be chosen in that whole crowd,” said Santiago Quezada.

Through prayers and the shared mark of their faith, the family hoped they could send the same comfort to the Pope in his hour of need.

“We really want him to come back fully recovered, because we need his guidance,” said Agustin Quezada.