CHICAGO (WLS) — Pope Leo and his family have a long history on Chicago’s South Side.
This morning, we’re discovering various details about the newly appointed leader of the Catholic Church, including his time teaching at St. Rita High School, an all-boys institution on the South Side.
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St. Rita said the Pope Leo XIV was a substitute physics teacher at the school, which follows the Augustinian order. He’s also an honorary alumnus.
St. Rita students watched the announcement of the new pope in pure bliss, taking in the unexpected connection.
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Pope Leo was born in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood and grew up in Dolton. His family has always been dedicated to Catholic education.
As reported by the Archdiocese of Catholic Schools, both Pope Leo and his siblings completed their education at St. Mary of the Assumption, located on the city’s far South Side.
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His father was the principal of Mt. Carmel Catholic School in Chicago Heights…
His mother worked as a librarian at Mendel Catholic High School in the Roseland neighborhood…
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His brother was the principal at St. Gabriel Catholic School in Chicago’s Canaryville neighborhood.
John Prevost, who lives in New Lenox, says he spoke to his younger sibling the night before the Conclave began.
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He says then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was conflicted in recent weeks, about becoming pope, but said he’d be ready if God called.
“Even as it was announced, and I was watching him speak, I kept thinking, ‘This cannot be real; I’m about to wake up,'” his brother remarked. “I’m about to wake up. It’s something to take great pride in. It’s an honor. Yet, I believe it will entail significant responsibility.”
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John said his brother remains close to his family and connected to this area and also says the pope is in fact a White Sox fan.
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