In northwest Indiana, Bishop Robert McClory of the Gary Diocese said in a release “This is an exciting time,” following the announcement of the election of Pope Leo XIV on Thursday May 8, 2025, Bishop McClory adding, “We’re part of Chicagoland. So, we get to celebrate with great joy that he exercised leadership here.” Formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Pope Leo was born at Mercy Hospital in Chicago in 1955 and grew up near the Little Calumet River in south suburban Dolton, Illinois. He attended school at St. Mary of the Assumption parish on Chicago’s far south side along the edge of Dolton, where he served as an altar boy. His father, Louis, was an educator in the Chicago area, and his mother, Mildred, was a librarian.
Pope Leo XIV is the first American Pope in the Catholic Church’s history. White smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel around 6 p.m. Vatican City time, as cheers and bells echoed with tens of thousands of people packed in St. Peter’s Square to celebrate. The papal conclave took just two days to select Cardinal Roberto Francis Prevost as Pope Leo XIV. He’s also known in Peru, where he spent decades serving the poor before the late Pope Francis brought Prevost back to Rome in 2023.
With his Chicago-area roots, a baseball question is being answered. One of the new pope’s brothers says the Holy Father is a lifelong White Sox fan. John Prevost says his younger brother was always a fan of the South Siders. After news broke Thursday that Robert Prevost had been elected pope, the Cubs quickly claimed him with a message on the Wrigley Field marquee that read — “He’s a Cubs Fan!” The White Sox responded saying family knows best. They also say a White Sox jersey with the pope’s name — and a cap — are already headed to the Vatican.
