What started as a bucket-list trip to Italy turned into a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual experience for two Owensboro women who found themselves in St. Peter’s Square as white smoke billowed from the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new pope.
Brigitte Cook and her longtime friend and travel companion Margie Richeson never planned to be in Vatican City that day. The pair, who grew up in different Christian traditions, described the moment as both divine timing and a shared expression of awe that transcended denominations.
“It was a God thing,” Cook said. “We didn’t plan to be there. We just felt drawn to go. We were two stops away on the bus, and I told Margie, ‘We’re this close — we’ve got to see it.’ And that’s what we did.”
The two had booked a partially guided tour through Italy after Richeson, a newly certified travel guide, asked Cook where she’d go if she could pick one place. Italy had been on Cook’s list since she was young, but work and raising children delayed the dream.
In February, a flash sale sealed the deal, and the two quickly committed.
“She said, ‘Where would you go?’ and I didn’t hesitate — Italy,” Cook said. “She found a deal, and I handed over my credit card. It was that fast.”
Their itinerary included the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and time in Venice before visiting Cook’s former foreign exchange student near Milan. But Vatican City wasn’t originally on the list.
“We actually missed our scheduled tour that morning,” Cook said. “We had to pay extra to get on a later one. But if we hadn’t missed it, we wouldn’t have been on that bus, at that time, to make that stop. Everything lined up perfectly. I truly believe it was meant to be.”
By sheer happenstance, they arrived just 20 minutes before the next expected smoke signal. Both of their phones had died, so they scrambled to buy a battery pack in time to take photos. A police officer confirmed that more smoke was anticipated that evening.
“We thought, even if it’s black smoke, how amazing would it be just to witness that?” Richeson said.
The crowd in St. Peter’s Square was swelling. Reporters filled scaffolding, and the atmosphere was steeped with anticipation. When the white smoke finally emerged, the square erupted.
“The energy was like a basketball game going into double overtime — when the last shot wins the game,” Cook said. “The bells started ringing across the city, and people were cheering and crying. It was electric. Truly.”
The white smoke announced the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pope in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Originally from Chicago, Pope Leo was seen as a unifying choice, with a pastoral background and a reputation for social justice advocacy.
Cook said the emotion was overwhelming — not because of personal religious tradition, but because of the unity and shared reverence among thousands of people from all over the world.
“It didn’t matter what church you went to or what country you came from,” Cook said. “The beauty was in seeing how deeply this moment meant to others, and being able to honor that.”
Richeson added, “To be there together — with different backgrounds, but the same sense of God’s presence — was powerful. It was about witnessing something bigger than us.”
Neither woman realized until later that they had missed the Pope’s first appearance after the smoke, having rushed off to catch the last bus.
“We didn’t even think about it until people were running the opposite direction,” Richeson said with a laugh. “But even without seeing him, the moment was complete.”
For Cook, the experience held even deeper meaning. A breast cancer survivor, she was diagnosed with metastatic disease five years ago and wasn’t expected to survive the year. Today, she’s two years cancer-free.
“Two years ago, making a cup of coffee was a struggle,” she said. “Now I’m walking the streets of Rome and witnessing a moment in history. That’s not luck. That’s God.”
The trip also reminded them of the joy in taking chances.
“We stepped out in faith — said yes to a trip, got off a bus two stops early — and got more than we ever imagined,” Cook said. “It’s a reminder to live fully, because you never know what surprise blessings are waiting.”
They’ll spend the remainder of their trip visiting Cook’s former exchange student and her family, already knowing they’ll return to Owensboro with stories — and memories — that will last a lifetime.
“Our grandkids will hear about this someday,” Cook said. “We’ll say, ‘We were there. We saw the white smoke.’”
