ROME — Pope Francis brought joy and excitement to a woman religious and her class of elementary students with an impromptu telephone call during the school day.

According to the Italian daily newspaper Corriere del Mezzogiorno, Pope Francis surprised Sister Teresa with a call to her cellphone on Nov. 18. 

She said that, during the middle of her fifth-grade class, her cellphone began to ring, and when she answered, the voice said, “It’s the Pope, Pope Bergoglio!”

Upon hearing the Pope’s voice, Sister Teresa could not contain her emotion.

“The Pope, the Pope is calling me on the phone!” she told her students at the Italian school, operated by the Daughters of St. Ann in Casal di Principe.

The students reacted with excitement as Sister Teresa put her cellphone on speakerphone to allow the students to greet the Holy Father.

She told Corriere del Mezzogiorno that she had sent some photos to Pope Francis of children in Italy who died from cancer after the mafia discarded toxic materials in their communities.

The package of photos was labeled with Sister Teresa’s name and telephone number. 

Sister Teresa said that she never imagined she would receive a call from the Pope and that her hands shook throughout the entire conversation.

“I was blessed. He thanked us. And I am still blown away. Afterwards, I ran to meet with my sisters.”