Meet the Little Girl Blessed by Pope Francis

Five-year-old Sophie Cruz and her family traveled from Los Angeles.

ByABC News
September 23, 2015, 1:07 PM

— -- Little Sophie Cruz was on a mission. The 5-year-old traveled from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. with her family and fellow church members to see Pope Francis.

She, along with thousands of others, waited on a crowded Constitution Avenue sidewalk for hours. It was the first papal parade of the pope's historic U.S. trip and Sophie wanted to see the leader of her family's faith.

As the pope's white Jeep Wrangler made that turn onto Constitution Avenue, little Sophie managed to get past the metal fence. The pint-size girl stepped into the roadway where she was met by towering U.S. Secret Service officers. At first, they tried to stop her, but that's when she made eye contact with the pope.

PHOTO: A child is escorted by police during a parade for Pope Francis in Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.
A child is escorted by police during a parade for Pope Francis in Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.

What happened next shouldn't be a surprise.

Pope Francis waved little Sophie over. She handed him the letter she wrote for him months ago and he blessed her. Then Sophie was handed back into the arms of her father Raul Cruz.

Sophie said she doesn't remember what she wrote in that letter to the pope but she knows it made her feel "happy."

ABC News obtained a photo of the letter written in Spanish that Sophie presented to Pope Francis.

"Quiero contarte que mi corazon esta triste por el odio y la discriminacion haicia los immigrantes de este pais," Sophie wrote, which translates to: "I want to tell you that my heart is sad about the discrimination of the immigrants in this country."

PHOTO: Five-year-old Sophia Cruz wrote a letter to Pope Francis, which she gave to him when he blessed her during his papal visit to Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.
Five-year-old Sophia Cruz wrote a letter to Pope Francis, which she gave to him when he blessed her during his papal visit to Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.

In her letter, Sophie asks Pope Francis to speak to President Obama and Congress about immigration reform.

"[Immigrants] are good people, they work hard in the fields...like my dad, who I barely get to see," Sophie writes. "I ask that they stop deporting our parents because we need them to grow and be happy."

Sophie concluded: "I have hope that this pain will come to peace."

PHOTO: Five-year-old Sophia Cruz wrote a letter to Pope Francis, which she gave to him when he blessed her during his papal visit to Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.
Five-year-old Sophia Cruz wrote a letter to Pope Francis, which she gave to him when he blessed her during his papal visit to Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.

She also drew a picture for Pope Francis with the caption, "My friends and I love each other and the color of our skin is not important."

PHOTO: Five-year-old Sophia Cruz wrote a letter to Pope Francis, which she gave to him when he blessed her during his papal visit to Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.
Five-year-old Sophia Cruz wrote a letter to Pope Francis, which she gave to him when he blessed her during his papal visit to Washington, Sept. 23, 2015.

Sophie's father speaks little English but said the experience made him "so happy, so excited."

ABC News' Paola Chavez contributed to this report.

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