CHICAGO (WLS) — Pope Leo XIV delivered his first Sunday blessing at St. Peter’s Basilica.
The new pontiff is now preparing to meet with the press on Monday for the first time since his election.
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His inauguration Mass is one week from Sunday, and many are still buzzing over the Chicago-born pope.
The Holy Name Cathedral is set to hold Mass later this Sunday morning. This will mark the first Sunday service since the election of Pope Leo XIV just a few days ago.
A special prayer for the pope is expected to take place during services on Sunday morning.
This event coincides with the international attention focused on Chicago recently. The city is the birthplace of Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from America.
The 69-year-old was born on the South Side and raised in south suburban Dolton.
Throughout the week, ABC7 has received numerous stories from people who crossed paths with the pope during his upbringing in the Chicago area, whether during his childhood or his time spent in school, as he pursued a vocation in the church.
READ MORE | Exploring Pope Leo XIV’s deep roots on Chicago’s South Side, south suburbs
John Prevost even told ABC News that when his brother, now the pope, was just in the first grade, a neighbor said he was going to be the very first American pope.
Pope Leo XIV even spent time teaching at St. Rita High School on the South Side, where he was affectionately known to many simply as “Father Bob.”
It is also officially confirmed now that the pope is a White Sox fan. There is video evidence to prove it, too, capturing him at a World Series game back in 2005.
Holy Name’s first Mass is at 7 a.m. Sunday.
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