New Pope has a Missouri Connection

The election of the first American pope, Leo XIV, has sparked renewed interest in his ties to St. Louis, Missouri. Not only is Pope Leo XIV an American, but his story is also intertwined with the Show-Me State. Born Robert Prevost in Chicago, he lived in St. Louis during the 1970s while pursuing his path to priesthood, as reported by St. Louis Public Radio. In 1977, Prevost entered a novitiate of the Order of St. Augustine at a parish near what is now the St. Louis University medical campus. This novitiate period—marked by contemplation, study, and service—is a formative phase before one formally becomes a priest.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis is currently researching more details about Pope Leo XIV’s early years in the city, according to Communications Director Brecht Mulvihill. “Being a priest is a very outward thing, it’s something that we practice,” Mulvihill explained. “It involves working with others. It’s a period of consideration as to what his future holds and whether this is in fact his vocation.”

Missouri connections could promote faith state

Mulvihill expressed hope that the election of the first-ever American pope will encourage more people in the St. Louis region—where parishes are closing and merging—to reconnect with the church. “We certainly hope it brings about a renaissance,” he said. “Pope Francis said that we as a church were not in an era of change but a change of an era. And so I think we’re going to see that continue no matter who were to be at the helm of the Catholic Church. We’re certainly excited by the prospect of Pope Leo XIV and the possibilities it gives us here in St. Louis.”

Catholics in the region have been pleasantly surprised to discover that the new pope grew up in the Midwest. St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski said in a statement that the selection of Pope Leo “speaks to the need for communion” among people.

“As we navigate this change of era, we look to Pope Leo for spiritual leadership, pastoral care of the church and her people, and steadfast commitment to the most vulnerable,” Rozanski wrote. “I pray in a special way that Pope Francis’s legacy of compassion for the forgotten continues to inspire us to view the stranger as Christ.” For more on Pope Francis’s approach, see this recent report on his compassionate legacy.

–Alan Goforth