Baltimore-area Catholics pray for new pope, express excitement for his leadership

Praying for the newly elected Pope Leo XIV only hours after his historic May 8 elevation as the first American pope was a family affair for Ricardo and Alsy Acevedo.

The Cathedral of Mary Our Queen parishioners brought their two daughters and Alsy’s mother, Betsy Lugo – visiting from Puerto Rico – to a special 5:30 p.m. Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori at their home parish in Homeland.

They said they wanted to support the new pope and help their children understand the significance of the day.

Alsy became emotional as she recalled watching the new pope extend peace to the world in his inaugural address.

“It felt like it was just what we all needed to hear,” she said, noting his message of humility and care for others.

“He follows a lineage from Francis in humility,” Ricardo added. “I think it’s big shoes to fill from Francis, but it’s a good lineage to follow. I feel like the focus is right where God wants it to be.”

Many of the approximately 100 people who gathered at a cathedral adorned with yellow and white papal bunting expressed shock at the election of an American pope. But there was also a sense of excitement.

“I would say that this whole day is all about hope,” said Giulia Henson, a parishioner of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Baynesville who attended the cathedral Mass with her husband, Isaac.

“It’s a really hopeful, joyful day – not just for Americans, not just for Catholics, but I think for the world,” she said. “I think to have a pope who’s an Augustinian, who is clearly such a good and holy man, is only a positive. I think it brings a really positive future for the church.”

As a teacher at Calvert Hall College High School in Towson, Henson said she watched the announcement of the election with some of her students. They were overjoyed, she said. At first they were confused because during discussions about the conclave over the last few days, she had noted that it would be unlikely that an American could be elected.

“They were excited,” she said with a laugh. “They were loud. They’re high school boys. They started chanting, ‘USA! USA!’”

Andrew Likoudis, a young adult community representative on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council and a parishioner of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore, said the new pope is “what we really need, especially in America, where there’s a lot of pushback against the Vatican.”

“I think he’ll be a unifying force,” Likoudis said. “We’re not supposed to be aligned with ideologies. We’re supposed to be aligned with the truth of Christ’s church.”

Likoudis said that since the new pope selected the name of a previous pope known for his teachings on economic justice, he expects him to build on Pope Leo XIII’s legacy.

“I think that would be great,” he said.

Robin Demarest, a parishioner of the cathedral, said she hopes Pope Leo will move the church into a position where non-Catholics who have a poor perception of the church will once again see it in “good standing.”

“(I hope) he can get us past the financial worries and the impression that non-Catholics have of us with our troubles in the past,” she said. “I also hope that he can continue what the previous pope had started with the efforts to help the poor and to be non-political.”

In his homily, Archbishop Lori reflected on the significance of the new pope being the first born in the United States, calling it an “inspired choice” guided by the Holy Spirit.

Archbishop Lori highlighted Pope Leo’s deep missionary background, formed through his work with the Augustinian order and as a bishop in Peru, as well as his recent leadership role in the Vatican. That global experience, combined with a keen understanding of the American church, positions him to be a bridge-builder and evangelizer across cultures and continents, the archbishop said.

Archbishop Lori, who was joined at the Mass by 11 other priests and several deacons and seminarians, called on all Catholics to daily pray the rosary for Pope Leo during the Marian month of May, asking that through Mary’s intercession, “his ministry will bear the good and abundant fruit of the Gospel, that he will enjoy good health and length of days and that we will be his good co-workers in spreading the Gospel and in serving those who are in need.”

“The Petrine ministry is weighty, the responsibility is enormous, the challenges are many … and whoever serves as Holy Father surrenders his life and his freedom for the sake of the Kingdom of God,” Archbishop Lori said.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

Kevin J. Parks contributed to this story. 

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