On the 8th of May 2025, chosen on the fourth ballot of the papal conclave, Robert Francis Prevost goes down in history as the first American pope.
Now known to the world as Pope Leo XIV, the Chicago native is the first pope from the United States, joining his predecessor, Pope Francis, as the only second pope from the Americas. Here’s a few facts about our new pope:
We all wished for another Pope Francis, and we got it – Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955 to Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martinez. Louis is said to be of French-Italian descent, while Mildred was of Spanish descent having migrated from New Orleans. According to a historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, Mildred’s family were free people of color prior to the American Civil War.
The youngest of three children (all boys), Prevost attended the St. Mary’s School of the Assumption in Chicago and served as an altar boy before entering the Augustinian Minor Seminary at the age of 14.
He’s a math major – Prevost graduated in 1977 with a degree in mathematics from Villanova University. It was also in 1977 that he began his with the Augustinian Order and took solemn vows in 1981. He was ordained a priest in 1982 after completing theological studies at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Subsequently, he pursued advanced studies in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, earning a licentiate in 1984 and completing a doctoral thesis on the role of the local prior in the Augustinian order in 1987.
Man of the people – His early priestly ministry was marked by extensive missionary work in Peru. From 1985 to the late 1990s, Prevost served in various roles including chancellor of the territorial prelature in Chulucanas, director of vocations and missions for the Midwest Augustinian Province, and director of an Augustinian seminary in Trujillo. He also worked as a parish priest, seminary prefect, teacher of canon law, and judicial vicar in Peru.
He later served as Prior General – head of the worldwide Augustinian order – from 2002 to 2013 where he even managed to visit the Philippines such as back in 2004 in Cebu, and in 2010 in Intramuros.
He is still their little brother – unlike other popes, Pope Leo XIV seems more reachable, more human, more like us thanks his brothers. Eldest brother Louis has said, “It’s just mind blowing that my brother was elected pope today. We’ve kinda known he was special; we used to tease him about being pope when he was six years old and stuff.” His other brother John shared the Prevost watched the movie ‘Conclave’ before entering the conclave.
We look forward to seeing and experience what Pope Leo XIV brings to the church, and to the world.
Oh, and Pope Leo XIV is a White Sox fan.
