Catholics throughout the area are celebrating the historic announcement that the primary American pope within the 2,000-year historical past of the church was born and raised within the Chicago space.

In his first phrases as Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost introduced “peace be with you,” invoking a message of dialogue and take care of these in want from Vatican Metropolis on Thursday.

Some would say the sunny climate was only a coincidence, Sakowicz acknowledged.

However “a coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous,” he added.

Trustworthy have a good time after white smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel the place 133 cardinals gathered on the second day of the conclave to elect a successor to late Pope Francis, on the Vatican, Could 8, 2025. (Emilio Morenatti/AP)

Prevost’s Catholic roots have been planted in Chicago’s south suburbs, the place he lived in Dolton along with his dad and mom and two brothers. He grew up in St. Mary of the Assumption parish on the Far South Facet, attending faculty there and serving as altar boy.

Marianne Angarola, 69, who was in the identical class as Prevost, remembers him as singer who “cared about people” and “looked for the good in things.”

St. Mary’s closed and went right into a state of disrepair, she mentioned. However Angarola and others have stored up along with his profession, following alongside on the Web for updates as he rose by way of the ranks of the church.

“He was the pride and joy of every priest and nun in that school,” Angarola mentioned. “Everybody knew he was special.”

One other St. Mary’s classmate, Peggy Wurtz, remembered Prevost singing at midnight Mass along with his mom, who was additionally a gifted vocalist. Wurtz mentioned she was intimidated by his intelligence, even in grade faculty. Throughout their fifth grade science honest, Wurtz recalled being embarrassed to reply a query about her tooth decay venture in entrance of Prevost, who was extra deft in explaining his work.

“He won first prize,” Wurtz mentioned.

The category of 1969 has an annual reunion, and he or she hopes they’ll see him at one down the road.

“I figure we should have a class reunion in Rome so he gets us all at once,” Wurtz mentioned.

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV seems on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on the Vatican, Thursday, Could 8, 2025. (AP Picture/Andrew Medichini)

His father, Louis, was an educator who led Glenwood Faculty District 167 and served as principal of Mount Carmel Elementary Faculty in Chicago Heights, which was closed in 1990. He died in 1997, in keeping with his obituary.

His mom, Mildred, was a librarian who labored at Holy Identify Cathedral, Von Steuben Excessive Faculty on the North Facet and Mendel Catholic Prep. She died in 1990, after a long time of service to St. Mary’s Church.

After graduating from St. Mary’s in 1969, Prevost attended St. Augustine Seminary Excessive Faculty in Michigan. He briefly lived on the now-shuttered Tolentine seminary in Olympia Fields earlier than attending Villanova College.

He was ordained a priest in Rome and studied there till 1984, shuttling between church management positions in Chicago and Peru till 2023.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost attends the funeral of Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Sq. on April 26, 2025 in Vatican Metropolis, Vatican. (Franco Origlia/Getty)

Prevost, a longtime missionary and member of the Augustinian spiritual order, made his first look on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday carrying the standard purple cape of the papacy.

Prevost, 69, was head of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013, based mostly in Rome. He additionally served as head of the Chicago province of the order and in 2014 was named apostolic administrator after which bishop of Chiclayo, in northern Peru in a area the place the Chicago Augustinians have lengthy had a presence.

In 2023, his predecessor, Pope Francis, named Prevost to take over the Vatican’s highly effective bishops’ workplace that vets nominations across the globe from a retiring Canadian who had lately been accused of sexual misconduct. The important Holy See workplace additionally investigates allegations of abuse or negligence in opposition to bishops.

“This is a historic day,” mentioned Robert Orsi, professor of faith at Northwestern College. “Robert Francis Prevost was a favorite of Pope Francis, who made him cardinal only two years ago. The new pope’s namesake, Leo XIII, was known for his outspoken defense of the rights of working people to a living wage. By taking this name, Pope Leo XIV clearly signals his priorities. Pope Leo XIII was also profoundly wary of nationalists, especially those who would divide the church over political disputes. The Pope Leo of the early 21st century, who spent most of his 69 years outside the United States, appears already to be calling Catholics back to a truly global, truly open-hearted faith.”

Near 100 folks have been at midday Mass at Holy Identify Cathedral in Chicago on Thursday. Close to the tip of the service, the rector introduced who the pope was — an American-born from Chicago. The gang erupted in applause.

Julie Bartholomae from Lincoln Park stepped exterior to take a name from her sister, who was telling her the identify of the pope.

Her eyes lit up when she came upon the brand new chief of greater than a billion Catholics worldwide was from Chicago.

“I think this is so exciting — a U.S. pope and he’s from Chicago,” she mentioned.

“It was extraordinary to be here, you know, in the presence of other Catholics,” she mentioned. “All I all I can say is I’m just praying that this pope brings a call for unity. That’s what we need, because we have so many challenges worldwide and in division, we shall not solve them. They will only be solved in unity.”

Initially Printed: Could 8, 2025 at 4:31 PM EDT