Bottles of bourbon signed by Pope Francis expected to fetch up to $20,000 for charity

Bottles of bourbon signed by Pope Francis expected to fetch up to $20,000 for charity 
National Catholic Register; by Daniel Payne; 11/21/24 
Two bottles of rare bourbon signed by Pope Francis are projected to net up to $20,000 for several Kentucky charities [and Southeast Texas Hospice]. Father Jim Sichko, a priest in the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, and a papal Missionary of Mercy, told CNA that the charity auction came about from Sichko’s habit of bringing Kentucky bourbon to the Holy Father and other Vatican officials during his trips to Rome. ... The whiskies are currently up for online bidding. A live auction will ultimately take place in New York at Sotheby’s on Dec. 7. The funds raised from the auctions — estimated by Sotheby’s at upward of $10,000 per bottle — will be donated to several charities, the priest said, including Southeast Texas Hospice as well as Maxwell Street Legal Clinic. The latter assists immigrants in Kentucky with legal needs. The proceeds will also go toward an assistance ministry run by Father Sichko as well as a no-kill animal shelter in Kentucky.