Pope Leo XIV: The First American Pope!

A boy from Chicago, long years among the poor in Peru, and the astonishing day the Church called him to be its shepherd.

White smoke rose over Rome, the world held its breath — and the new pope stepped onto the balcony with a name no one expected to hear: an American.

On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost became Pope Leo XIV, the 267th pope and the first ever born in the United States. For Catholic families across the Americas, it was a moment they will tell their grandchildren about.

Children love knowing that the man who leads the whole Church once was a kid much like them. Our handpainted Miniature Saint Statues collection includes a Pope Leo XIV figure — a way to keep this living piece of Church history right at home.

Who Is Pope Leo XIV?

He was born Robert Francis Prevost on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois. He joined the Order of Saint Augustine and was ordained a priest in 1982. Early on, he even taught physics and math at a Catholic high school.

Then came the part that shaped him most: years as a missionary in Peru, living and serving among people who had very little. He later became Bishop of Chiclayo, and eventually was called to Rome to help choose bishops for the whole world.

When he was elected pope, he chose the name Leo in honor of Pope Leo XIII, famous for teaching that the Church must stand close to working people and the poor. The first American and the first Augustinian to lead the Church, Leo XIV is a reminder that God calls people from every corner of the earth.

A Pope of Peace

From his very first words on that balcony, one theme has rung out again and again: peace. Not just the absence of fighting, but the daily, patient work of justice, forgiveness, and treating every person with dignity.

It’s a message tailor-made for family life. Peace in a home is built the same way — one act of patience, one apology, one kindness at a time. A pope who preaches peace gives parents a gentle pattern to point to.

Teaching Kids About the Pope

The pope can feel far away to a child — a man in white on a screen, in a faraway city. But his role is beautifully simple to explain: Jesus chose Peter to care for his friends, and the pope is the one who carries on Peter’s job today.

That makes the pope a kind of spiritual grandfather to every Catholic child on earth. Praying for him by name, watching for him on the news, knowing his story — it all helps a child feel part of one enormous, worldwide family.

Bringing the Pope Home

History is happening right now, and children get to witness it. A small figure of Pope Leo XIV on a shelf turns the news into something personal: this is our shepherd, and we pray for him.

For a shelf or family altar, look for the Pope Leo XIV figure in our hand-painted Miniature Saint Statues collection — an heirloom-quality piece marking a historic moment. And for the little ones, our plush collection offers soft, huggable saints to grow up alongside.

A Prayer for Pope Leo XIV

Every pope is, in the end, an answer to the question Jesus once asked by the sea: do you love me? Then feed my sheep. Pope Leo XIV said yes — and a whole worldwide family, our own included, is in his prayers and his care.

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Lord, watch over Pope Leo and the whole Church, and keep our families in the heart of his prayers.

For more ways to live the faith together at home, visit the It’s Fun to Be Catholic blog.