From Chicago Schoolboy to Pope: What We Know About Leo XIV
A New Pope Has Been Elected: Here’s What We Know About Leo XIV — The Humble Chicago Schoolboy Who Left Home in 8th Grade
He never sat down during morning Mass and was always at the top of the class. He later worked at a nearby high school as a math teacher and physics substitute.
He is currently in charge of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
For the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV’s election is a historic first. He is the first American and the first member of the Augustinian order to hold the office of pope.
He was born Robert Francis Prevost in the south suburbs of Chicago. His appointment follows Pope Francis’s passing by a few weeks.
After eighth grade, Robert made the decision to leave home and enroll in a seminary, which marked the beginning of his journey to the Vatican.
His life was then influenced by leadership across continents, intellectual rigor, and international service. From a brick home in Dolton, he rose to one of the most powerful positions in the world.
Robert, the youngest of three sons, was born in Chicago, Illinois, on September 14, 1955.
His parents, Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martínez, reared their family in a small brick home measuring 1,200 square feet on East 141st Place in Dolton, which is located just outside the southern boundary of the city.
After serving in the Navy during World War II, Louis became the administrator of nearby schools. Known to many in their parish as “Millie,” Mildred was a longstanding member of the Altar and Rosary Society, a parish volunteer, and a librarian.
Together, they established a firmly Catholic home where community, service, and faith were valued.
During the postwar suburban development, the family went to St. Mary of the Assumption Parish, a burgeoning Catholic center.
Parishioners still remember young Robert’s early discipline and the Prevosts’ attendance at Mass at 9:15 a.m. He was regarded as the best student in his class and was an altar boy.
Despite his quiet demeanor, he was known to be humorous and fun with his colleagues. According to his classmates, he was intelligent, pious, and kind, and even back then, he exuded a quiet confidence and sense of purpose.
“He was just godly,” others remembered. “Not in an in-your-face way… it was part of his aura.”
Robert did something unusual for a boy his age after graduating from St. Mary of the Assumption’s eighth grade. He chose to attend the Augustinian-run St.
Augustine Seminary High School in Michigan rather than Mendel Catholic High School, where his siblings were enrolled.
He then proceeded to Villanova University in Pennsylvania, where he studied philosophy and graduated with a degree in mathematics in 1977.
He enrolled in the Augustinian novitiate in St. Louis the same year. He formally joined the order he had pledged to as a youth in 1978 and 1981, when he made his solemn vows.
After that, Robert continued his theology education in Chicago’s Catholic theology Union, where he graduated in 1982 with a Master of Divinity.
Later same year, at the age of 27, he received his priestly ordination at the Augustinian College of Saint Monica in Rome.
He continued his education at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he graduated in 1984 with a licentiate in canon law.
He joined the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, Peru, in 1985 while still working on his doctoral thesis.
He was named vocation director and missions director for his home province, Olympia Fields, Illinois, after briefly returning to Rome in 1987 to defend his dissertation. He returned to the mission in Peru that same year, this time in Trujillo.
Robert served in a number of capacities within the Augustinian community and the Archdiocese of Trujillo for the ensuing eleven years.
He held the positions of instructor for professed members, director of formation for Augustinian aspirants, and prior of the religious community.
In addition, he served as judicial vicar and taught patristics, canon law, and moral theology at the diocesan seminary.
He managed two parishes in low-income neighborhoods, Our Lady Mother of the Church (later renamed Saint Rita) and Our Lady of Monserrat, in addition to his academic and leadership duties.
Robert was chosen provincial prior of the Augustinian Province of Mother of Good Counsel upon his return to Chicago in 1999.
He was tasked with overseeing the order’s activities throughout the Midwest, which included monasteries and schools throughout Illinois.
He was chosen Prior General, the highest position in the Augustinian order, less than three years later. He held that office for a total of 12 years until being reelected in 2007 for a second six-year term.
He was named apostolic administrator of the northern Peruvian Diocese of Chiclayo by Pope Francis in 2014.
He had to become a naturalized Peruvian citizen in order to play this role. He was appointed bishop of Chiclayo a year later, a position he held for eight years.
He continued to visit rural areas throughout that time and remained close to the people he had initially helped as a missionary. The Vatican took notice of his activities in Peru.
He became a member of the Congregation for Bishops in 2020; this organization was subsequently reorganized as the Dicastery for Bishops.
In 2023, he made a permanent return to Rome when Pope Francis named him prefect of that office, tasked with supervising the appointment and formation of bishops worldwide.
To further solidify his position in Vatican leadership, he was also appointed President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.
During the September 30, 2023 consistory, Pope Francis officially promoted Robert to the College of Cardinals.
In January 2024, he formally assumed possession of the titular church and was given the Diaconate of Saint Monica.
His nomination was a major recognition of his developing prominence within the Roman Curia and occurred only months after he started his position as head of the Dicastery for Bishops.
As a cardinal, Robert took part in both sessions of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality, which took place in 2023 and 2024, as well as the apostolic trips of the Pope.
His contributions to these gatherings aligned with his lifelong focus on outreach to marginalized people, discernment, and service.
He had used language that closely matched Pope Francis’ priorities while discussing the Church’s mission two years prior, urging attention to “the poor, to the neediest, to those on the margins.
” Robert was regarded as a serious, if modest, candidate for pope by the time of Pope Francis’s death in 2025.
Although his name had been used in conversations about possible successors, most people still thought it was implausible that an American would become pope.
Nevertheless, he was positioned as a candidate who could bridge internal divisions due to his worldwide experience, multilingualism, and reputation for moderation.
Less than two weeks after Pope Francis’s passing, in early May 2025, the papal conclave got underway. To choose the next Bishop of Rome, 133 cardinals assembled in the Sistine Chapel, the most ever to attend a conclave.
Consensus was challenging due to the College’s size and diversity, as well as the fact that Francis personally chose a large portion of its members.
There were ideological disagreements on whether the Church should continue in the inclusive path established by the late pope or go in a more conservative way.
The process proceeded quickly in spite of the divisions. Following multiple voting rounds and a little more than twenty-four hours, the cardinals made a decision.
Robert was elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church on May 8, 2025. He decided on Leo XIV as his name.
His appointment went against long-held beliefs that a member of a major geopolitical force from a global powerhouse would never be chosen to hold the office of pope.
From the balcony with a view of St. Peter’s Square, the newly appointed pope said, “Peace be with all of you.”
As word of Pope Leo XIV’s election swiftly spread across continents, both laypeople and Church leaders responded.
The statement was greeted with applause in St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City. It was a historic first for the United States.
The moment was referred to as “a great honor” for the nation by President Donald Trump.
Parishioners at St. Mary of the Assumption in Chicago were asked to consider the importance of one of their own being elected pope. Peru rejoiced as well.
After serving for almost 20 years in Trujillo and Chiclayo, Robert was regarded as a pastoral leader with strong relationships to the areas he served in.
His longstanding connections to Latin America were perceived as an extension of the Church’s increasing focus on non-European regions.
Robert received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, which acknowledged the milestone for the Augustinian order in a statement.
As His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was elected today, University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue remarked, “I can’t help but think about what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world.”
Robert, according to him, was renowned for “his humility, gentle spirit, prudence, and warmth.” Pope Leo XIV takes over a Church that is juggling intricate internal conflicts and outside influences as he begins his papacy.
There are high expectations because there are 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.
His experience as a theologian, missionary, educator, and administrator puts him in a position to discuss a variety of topics, including concerns of doctrine, global outreach, and episcopal appointments.
He is regarded as having a highly consultative leadership style.
He is described by those who have worked with him as cautious, thoughtful, and a listener before acting. “He’s not quick to judge,” mentioned a former coworker.
As he deals with varying expectations across the global Church, that strategy might prove crucial.
In many respects, his election is similar to that of Pope Francis. He has long talked about the Church’s mission being focused on those who are most in need and has placed a strong emphasis on outreach to underprivileged populations.
Even while his priorities might change, his initial indications point to a consistent tone with a renewed emphasis on discernment and unity.
