About the photo: Chicagoan Sister Marie Michelle Hackett, OP, shares her joy over the announcement of the Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV.
When it was evening in Rome, the Dominican Sisters of Springfield were finishing their noon meal in the dining room at Sacred Heart Convent, having heard these encouraging words from their fellow Illinoisan, standing on the balcony at the Vatican, Robert Prevost, OSA, now known to the world at Pope Leo XIV:
“Let us keep in our ears the weak but always brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed Rome—the Pope who blessed Rome and the world that day on the morning of Easter.
“Allow me to continue that same blessing. God loves us, all of us, evil will not prevail. We are all in the hands of God. Without fear, united, hand in hand with God and among ourselves, we will go forward. We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs His light. Humanity needs Him like a bridge to reach God and His love...Thank you Pope Francis!
“So, we were just finishing Mass when it was announced and the Sisters went wild,” wrote Sister M. Paul McCaughey, prioress general of the congregation, in an email sent to her sisters from Rome, where she is attending the assembly of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and then the assembly of Dominican Sisters International Confederation (DISC).
“This is our new pope—missionary and humble.”
“His words in the spirit of Pope Francis, his choice of name, and the Peru and Chicago connections have us already tucking him into our hearts. Holding our world in our hearts for justice and peace in the synodal pilgrimage of hope!”
The Dominican Sisters of Springfield have served in Peru for 60 years, though not in the same region as the Chiclayo Diocese, where the new pope was bishop, 2015-2023. The Peruvian Sisters don’t know him personally but have been aware of his influence on the church in the country.
Sister Mila Diaz Solano, who teaches at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago—where Pope Leo XIV was once a student—shared a now-ubiquitous photo of then-Bishop Prevost astride a horse—with the words “this is our new pope—missionary and humble.”
After some moments of letting the news settle over them, some of the sisters began to express their sentiments.
“I never thought that I’d would live to see an American pope, and one from Chicago,” gushed Chicago native Sister Marie Michelle Hackett as she got up from the dining room table. Though—in truth, Pope Francis was the first pope from the Americas; Pope Leo XIV is the first pope from the United States.
Sister Marilyn Jean Runkel was reflective about events. “I am truly impressed. For someone who followed Francis, to speak as he did to us…just to see him and to realize, yes, he is from America, but all the experiences he’s had in many countries…we are blessed…we are blessed.”
Another Chicago native, Sister Mary Lou Owens, was full of hometown pride. “Can you believe it?” she said, “Chicago got its first pope. Hip-Hip Hooray! Thank you, God, an Augustinian!”
The Midwest province of the Augustinian Friars is based in Chicago, and many of our sisters, including Sister Mary Lou, have interacted with the friars, though it seems none of them knew Robert Prevost, though Sister Rebecca Ann Gemma did meet him last year.
“I have such hope!” she wrote from. “I met him at the dicastery meeting for bishops a year ago,” Sister Rebecca was at that time a member of the presidency for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious and in that capacity was visiting the offices, or the dicasteries, of the Vatican.
