ORLANDO, Fla. – Catholics worldwide took part in their first Sunday Mass since the election of Pope Leo XIV as the leader of the Catholic Church.

St. James Catholic Cathedral in Orlando was crowded on Sunday morning as families gathered to honor Mother’s Day and celebrate the start of a new papacy under Pope Leo’s guidance.

“Today is particularly meaningful because there is so much to honor,” stated Miguel Gonzalez, Rector of St. James Catholic Cathedral. “We rejoice in life, express gratitude for mothers, welcome the blessing of a new Holy Father, and also celebrate that this Sunday is known as ‘Good Shepherd Sunday.’”

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Gonzalez said there is excitement among his congregation because Pope Leo is the first American-born Pope.

“There is great excitement, absolutely, because we were all surprised, happily surprised,” Gonzalez said. “And the fact that he is American, there’s a sense of joy and pride because he’s one of our own. He’s part of our of our home, a part of this country, part of this nation, which also, in turn, will be a source of blessing for our the American church here.”

But beyond pride and joy, Gonzalez is also excited about how the new pontiff could impact the Catholic Church in the United States.

“One of the things that I’m optimistic about — being a former vocation director — here in this diocese is the fact that this could be an opportunity to strengthen our vocation awareness culture in our church in the United States,” Gonzalez said.

Pope Leo also held his first Sunday Mass in the Vatican City calling for peace in Gaza and Ukraine and wishing all mothers a happy Mother’s Day.

Gonzalez said he thinks Pope Leo will have a similar message as his predecessor, Pope Francis, who died April 21 at 88 years old.

“I believe that the message will be consistent with what Pope Francis was able to do in his 13 years as a pope, and that is to continue to bring joy to the world,” Gonzalez said. “And the joy centers on one person, that’s Jesus Christ.”

Gonzalez said he spent time praying and practicing for Sunday’s Mass.

He said it’s now the Church’s turn to take on the responsibility of praying for the new pope.

“The Cardinals had their responsibility in the Sistine Chapel when they elected a pope, but that does not exclude us from our role as members of the Church,” Gonzalez said. “And that is to invoke the Holy Spirit to continue to bless the new pope, to guide him, to strengthen him in his efforts of spreading the gospel and grant him good health and many, many years of shepherding our Church.”