“All the kids love them”

Some Minneapolis residents are walking in the pope's shoes. That's after two big boxes from Rome arrived at Sharing and Caring Hands, a homeless mission. Recently, the Rev. Joseph Johnson, the rector of the Cathedral of St. Paul gave some friends from the Vatican a tour of the facility while they were visiting the Twin Cities. Sharing and Caring Hands has an on-site shoe room, but director Mary Jo Copeland didn't know what was in the big boxes when they arrived. "Father (Johnson) says, 'That's from the Pope.' I said, `What do you mean? The Pope,'" said Copeland. She opened them to find several dozen pairs of handmade Italian shoes to give to the poor. Tasha Allen, who received a pair of the shoes, said, "It's a blessing for everybody. All the kids love them. The parents love them, too. I just can't stop smiling. Thank you pope." Included with the shoes was a photo of the Pope and a note.