The elevation of Chicago-born Cardinal Robert Prevost to pope earlier this month has been a point of pride for Chicagoland parishes, including in the north suburbs of Morton Grove, Park Ridge, Niles and Lincolnwood.
Now Pope Leo XIV, Prevost is the first pontiff from the United States. He was elected last Thursday to succeed Pope Francis, who died April 21.
“He’s a native of the Chicagoland area. That makes us proud,” the Rev. Thomas Baldonieri, pastor of All Saints Parish which includes St. Martha Church in Morton Grove and St. Isaac Jogues Church in Niles, told Pioneer Press.
The pontiff’s first address on May 8 from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City in Rome resonated with Baldonieri, especially when the new pope spoke about building bridges.
“He wants to embrace everybody. He’s calling the Church together and unifying as our pope,” Baldonieri said. “He has roots in the United States but his message is going to be universal.”
Pope Leo XIV, who will be formally installed at a Mass Sunday, is also the first Augustine friar to be elected pontiff.
Baldonieri explained that St. Augustine’s qualities included community, charity, truth and unity, which he called wonderful things to focus on as the pope begins his tenure.
“He has a missionary background, spending a lot of time in Peru. That’s nice because he’ll have the world view too,” Baldonieri said.
After white smoke came out of the Sistine Chapel chimney in Vatican City to signal a new pope had been selected, All Saints Parish offered a devotional practice.
“We had Adoration, which is having the Blessed Sacrament exposed in the church and spending some quiet time with Jesus in prayer,” Baldonieri said.
When Baldonieri celebrated morning Masses Friday at St. Martha and St. Isaac Jogues churches, the former cardinal was mentioned.
“I was excited to talk a bit about this new pope,” Baldonieri said. “We’re getting to know him. … It makes you feel good that you’re known and somebody cares about you and wants to learn more about where you’re from or who you are and to lead us to something better, to lead us to Christ.”
“Peace be with you” was among Pope Leo XIV’s first words. Baldonieri said he looks forward to more along that vein.
“There’s so much joy with the new pope and there’s this resurgence of faith but we know our world is hurting too. There’s conflict and division. There’s wars going on. There’s the poor as well, so the pope is going to point us in that direction to Christ and to help us to have a heart for these issues, for the needs of others,” Baldonieri said.
A marquee outside of St. Paul of the Cross Catholic church in Park Ridge proclaimed, “Habemus papam (We have a pope)! Pope Leo XIV. Ad multos annos (To many years). He loves First Communicants,” to tie into children making their First Communion Saturday.
“We are very excited about Pope Leo XIV as our new pope,” Mike Einarsen, St. Paul of the Cross operations director, told Pioneer Press.
Einarsen said bells rang at the church and hundreds of students from the parish school went out to the parking lot to celebrate after the May 8 announcement about the new pontiff.
“We are in a festive and welcoming state of mind here. We’re looking forward to when he comes to Chicago,” Einarsen said
Bringing unity to the Catholic church is what Einarsen hopes to see from the multilingual former prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
Einarsen said he was excited about a number of Pope Francis’ positions while he needed to study other stances.
“The fact that he views the Church as a field hospital is something that has stuck with me,” Einarsen said. “That is something humanity needs to do so regardless of whatever state an individual may be in, they know they can always go to the Church.”
Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer.
