This is from John Allen's 4/21/06 Word from Rome:
Benedict XVI blesses a monstrance from St. Dominic's Parish
in New Orleans, La., on March 15. Speaking is Fr. Christopher Nalty,
a priest of the New Orleans archdiocese who works in the Congregation
for Clergy, accompanied by pilgrims from the archdiocese
Occasionally in the rush of travel and breaking news, certain items I've flagged for "The Word From Rome" fall through the cracks. Here's one, however, that despite being more than a month old is still worth recording.
On March 15, Benedict XVI expressed his solidarity with the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the United States by blessing a monstrance recovered from St. Dominic's Parish in New Orleans, located in one of the hardest hit areas of the city.
A group of parishioners had dug up the monstrance from several feet of mud, where it had remained for three weeks while the eight-foot-high flood waters receded. The group feared it was ruined, but weeks of painstaking restoration eventually brought it back to mint condition.
Pilgrims from New Orleans brought the monstrance to Rome, where Benedict XVI had agreed to bless it with Holy Water at the conclusion of a Wednesday General Audience. Afterwards, he also gave the pilgrims the white zucchetto he was wearing in exchange for a new one they had purchased at the famed Roman clerical shop Gammarelli's.
Now dubbed the "Hope Monstrance," the monstrance and zucchetto, along with photos of the event, are set to make the rounds of parishes and schools in New Orleans, serving the twin purpose of promoting Eucharistic Adoration and offering a symbol of the city's rebirth.