The news came around 1 p.m. last Thursday: white smoke from the Sistine Chapel. Leo XIV would ascend to the Catholic church’s helm as the new pope.

At Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, Montessori preschoolers were ushered from a music lesson into a classroom to watch the live feed, which teachers were now streaming on all available screens. The seventh and eighth graders in Domenick D’Orazio’s religion class heard his running commentary on developments.

At Our Mother of Consolation Parish School (OMC), students learned the news when they returned to the classroom after recess at 1 p.m. Fourth grader Johnny Matthew was thinking about the impending decision the whole time, and couldn’t wait to find out. It wasn’t until his religion class at 2:30 p.m. that he learned of the new pope’s local connections. 

“Another teacher came around knocking on everyone’s door to tell us the new pope was from Chicago and went to Villanova,” Matthew said. He’s excited about an American in the seat. “Pope Leo comes from a government we have that’s based on democracy, and he’s bringing that to the church.” 

As for the future, Matthew reported, “I’ve heard some adult opinion that he’ll be like John Paul II.”

Seventh grader Grace Sprandio learned about Leo in science class. “It didn’t really sink in,” she said. “It still kind of doesn’t.” She’s intrigued at what the new pope might bring, given his science and math degrees from Villanova. 

Cara Plover and Claudia Fisk were in eighth grade religion class when the news broke. Plover said she never had a religion lesson unfold in real time. The girls were small when Pope Francis was named in 2013, so, they said, this was their first real experience of a papal change.

Augustinian influence brings high hopes

Robert Francis Prevost is the first Augustinian pope in the history of the Catholic Church. While Catholic doctrine supports the “Last, least, lost, and lonely,” Augustinians historically have been vocal in support of the working class. 

In a letter to parishioners, Father John Fisher, pastor of OMC, noted, “Having been under Augustinian influence as my spiritual directors for 37 years of priesthood, I thought someone trained in the spirituality of Augustine would be a most welcome gift to the church.” Fisher pointed out Prevost’s choice of the name Leo, signaling a devotion to social justice and the rights of workers. Pope Leo XIII was a supporter of labor unions in the early 20th century.

Father Thomas Dailey, currently in residence at OMC, is the John Cardinal Foley chair of social communications and director of the Catholic Preaching Institute at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary (Archdiocese of Philadelphia). He told the Local the new pontiff’s “background — as a missionary and a bishop, as head of a worldwide religious order, and also a key official in the Curia — gives him the experience to appreciate the scope and breadth of the pope's work.  Formed in the tradition of St. Augustine, he has the wisdom and prudence needed to guide his work. And from all appearances, he also has the demeanor, both personal and spiritual, to lead effectively.”

At St. Joseph Villa, a home for aging nuns from the Sisters of St. Joseph, located just around the corner from Chestnut Hill College on Wissahickon Avenue, the excitement spread with the morning news in the cafeteria to gatherings in the community rooms. Sisters checked on some of the less mobile residents in their rooms to make sure they’d heard the news. 

Sister Mary Esther Lee, a longtime resident, remarked, “He won’t be Pope Francis, but he’s not supposed to be Pope Francis, right? I think he’s concerned for the poor, for immigrants, for those in the margin. All things I want to see the church do.” 

Sister Gerry Kent has difficulty speaking at age 94, but she gave a thumbs up and said "You never know. Bless him." 

Many of the retired nuns were Villanova graduates. When staff and visitors joked about what the Holy Father’s standard Wawa order might have been, some of these sisters said they could not recall a Wawa near the campus at that time. By the end of the day, the talk had shifted to White Sox vs. Phillies

St. Vincent de Paul in Germantown is one of the oldest Catholic Churches in the area, founded in 1851. Father Sy Peterka, C.M., considered Pope Francis his favorite pope. He was encouraged by the new pontiff’s close relation to Francis. St. Vincent’s strong connections to services for immigrants and locals in financial need. The pastor appreciated Leo’s long career in Peru, sometimes walking nine miles to visit parishioners. Peterka told the Local, “Every pope is different, and it’s only been a few days. I hope, as an American, he can bring pressure on American politicians when the need arises.”

State Representative Tarik Khan (D), also released a statement that said, in part, “Many indications are that the new pope, a proud American and Villanova graduate, will follow in the mold of Pope Francis. As former President Obama said, Pope Leo XIV is not only the new leader of the Catholic Church, but someone who will set the moral example for countless others around the world, regardless of faith. On a lighter note, I’m also here for all of the funny memes about our new Pope’s DelCo roots! My favorite line about the Pope’s Villanova days, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if we learned the pope once roomed with 10 guys in Manayunk.’”