A Lunch Made With Devotion

Archbishop Sambi also asked me to create breakfast that morning for the Holy Father. Nothing can describe the feeling of the moment when the pope walked into the room. It was surreal.

The archbishop introduced us and I knelt down and kissed his ring.

He spoke to me in Italian. How special I felt and how peaceful it was to be in his presence. I had to be careful not to let my awe take me away. I had to stay focused. We were all pressed for time.

The pope had a light breakfast. Afterward, he left for the White House and we started preparing lunch. At this point I felt as if nothing could go wrong. We took time with the tablecloths, and the chargers were placed in position, as were the silverware, the glassware I flew in from Florence, the flowers, the runner and the linens. I was anxious to see everyone's reaction to the table setup after six months of meticulous preparation. I kept checking my watch and I felt as if time was flying. I kept staring at the table over and over again to make sure every detail was right.

Upon their arrival from the White House, there was a small reception for the cardinals in a salon beautifully decorated with paintings of famous Italian places. There was a feeling of power in the room. I was raised as a Catholic and I am used to priests and archbishops visiting for special occasions. But being surrounded by cardinals was a much more emotionally charged experience.

When the pope was ready for lunch with the cardinals, there was an aura around him that spread throughout the room. The pope approached the table and as I pulled out his chair, he warmly smiled at me. I felt once again that inner peace and then he thanked me. Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, asked where I was from, and when I told him I was from the Amalfi Coast, they instantly recognized the connection in the decor of the chargers.

I could tell that they liked the food when I saw the plates coming back empty. I was pleased.

Now was the time for the grand finale. I wanted to surprise the pope with a cake I ordered that was a replica of St. Peter's Square and also had a rendition of the pope's image on it. The cake was approximately 4 feet by 3 feet. As we wheeled it in, we all sang "Happy Birthday" in English. He blew out the nine candles (eight large and one small to represent 81 years). The cake was so beautiful, we never intended to cut it. I served the orange souffle for dessert.

As the lunch ended, Archbishop Sambi announced that the pope was going to greet the kitchen and service staff, so I had my people line up in the salon and the pope greeted each one by one. Later my staff told me that it was the experience of a lifetime.

When the Holy Father came to me and thanked me, I felt blessed. I was honored and privileged to be in his presence and to have this opportunity to plan his birthday lunch and be a small part of his first visit to the United States.