By Tom Tracy - Florida Catholic

POMPANO BEACH | At seven years of age, St. Coleman School second-grader Ryan Walsh is a “man of few words,” but his beaming smile says it all: a school project he sent to Pope Francis drew an official acknowledgement from the Vatican’s Secretary of State.

Each year, the youngsters at this Pompano Beach parochial school send their paper “Flat Stanley” characters far and wide. Flat Stanley is a popular children’s book assigned each year to students, who then write letters to other people, accompanied by a Stanley in character, and request that he be returned.

Begun in 1995 under the direction of Dale Hubert, a third grade schoolteacher in Canada, the activity is meant to facilitate letter-writing by schoolchildren, as they document where Flat Stanley has traveled. It also provides an opportunity for students to connect with other students near and far, family members and friends, and even famous people.

The White House responded to one of the St. Coleman students with a letter from President Barack Obama, but it was the first-ever response from Pope Francis that most tickled the students and faculty, said Kathleen Squilla, STARS instructor who oversaw the project last fall.

“We were just hoping to get the return receipt back with the Vatican stamp — Ryan never imagined he would receive prayer cards from the Vatican along with a letter from the Apostolic Nunciature on the pope's behalf,” said Squilla.

She was referring to a response from U.S. Msgr. Peter B. Wells, assessor for general affairs at the Vatican, who wrote:

“His Holiness Pope Francis was pleased to receive your kind message. He thanks you for writing to him and he is grateful for your prayers. The Holy Father will pray for your class and your teachers, and he sends his blessing.”

Along with the Vatican letter, Ryan received a set of prayer cards with pictures of Pope Francis, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope St. John Paul II. All the return items have been placed in plastic sleeves and displayed at St. Coleman’s.

“On the feast day of the Three Kings (Jan. 5) Ryan received this wonderful surprise and I was delighted (the Vatican) sent Flat Stanley back with my rosary beads blessed,” Squilla said, noting she had included a rosary in the mailing to Pope Francis.

Ryan, who is looking forward to his first Communion on May 2 of this year, also extended a courtesy invitation to Pope Francis. But he understands how busy the pope is, added Squilla, whose brother is a priest and past seminary rector in the Archdiocese of New York.

In his letter to Pope Francis, Ryan wrote that “Flat Stanley is a different kind of boy. He tells his parents that the other kids in the class make fun of him because he is flat. His teacher says it is wrong to dislike people for their shapes, their religion or the color of their skin. When I read this I thought of you, Pope Francis, and how kind you are to everyone in the world.”

Lori St. Thomas, principal at St. Coleman’s, said that, at least over the past 13 years, neither she nor Father Thomas Foudy, St. Coleman’s pastor, can recall a student ever sending a project to the Vatican, let alone getting a response.

“The fact that time was taken to write a letter back and send prayer cards put this child and his family over the moon, and suddenly peaked the students’ interest in the Vatican and Pope Francis,” St. Thomas said.

“This one gave me goose bumps, and it sends a message that the Holy Father really does care — the fact that somebody is taking an interest in a second grader’s letter says something,” she added.