On Thursday, May 8, 2025, the Blue and the White were represented all the way from Vatican City. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a member of the Villanova Class of 1977 who earned a mathematics degree, was elected the 267th pope on just the second day of the conclave. He has chosen the name, Pope Leo XIV.
He is the first pope from the Augustinian order. Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1955, he is also the first American pope. Villanova is the first and only university in the country to produce a pope.
After Pope Leo’s papacy was first announced, the St. Thomas of Villanova Church bells rang continuously throughout the day. The bells from Corr Chapel chimed the Villanova alma mater. The bells were only the beginning of the shared excitement amongst the Villanova community.
University President Father Peter Donohue, OSA, Ph.D shared his thoughts on the announcement in an email to the Villanova community.
“What a proud and extraordinary day for Villanova University and the global Church,” Father Peter wrote. “As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our University community. Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason—between spirituality and wisdom. With today’s election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world.”
As the new pope was being revealed, Villanova’s Associate Director for Peer Ministry, Meghan Dietzler, experienced the exhilaration in the St. Rita’s Community Room. During the day, the Mission and Ministry staff and faculty watched the conclave livestream on their respective computers. However, once the white smoke began to rise from the Sistine Chapel chimney, they congregated.
“The bells started ringing in the church, and we invited anyone to come and join us,” Dietzler said. “We pulled out all the snacks we could from the kitchen, and we had a roomful of people in the community room just watching. When it was announced, it was, like, screams all over. I think Father Kevin [OSA, Ph.D, Vice President for Mission and Ministry] almost fainted. I feel like I was on Broad Street after the SuperBowl; nobody really knows what to do, you’re just kinda, like, walking around, smiling at each other, and kind’ve standing in awe of what happened. It’s just so wild.”
Madigan Reens, junior accounting and political science double major, heard the news from her professor while she was in the midst of taking her Intermediate Accounting II final examination.
“I could not focus for the rest of the exam, but I was like, it’s okay because the pope is a Villanovan,” said Reens. “It was so cool. People were, like, shouting in the halls of Bartley, and nobody was able to focus. Everybody was laughing and looking around.”
Reens had met Pope Leo when a group of Villanovans visited Rome for the Synod on Synodality during the October 2024 break. She recounted her memory of him presiding over mass in St. Peter’s tomb.
Junior comprehensive science major, Vincent Vandiver, was also in Rome with Reens.
“It was just a true blessing to say mass with, now, a new pope, and also in St. Peter’s, which is one of the most holy places in the world,” Vandiver said.
Many of the Villanovans who have met and encountered Pope Leo have emphasized his humility and dedication to the marginalized.
Dr. Anna Bonta Moreland, Anne Quinn Welsh Endowed Chair, Director of the Villanova University Honors Program, and Professor in the Department of Humanities, shared a meal with Pope Leo about eight years ago in Chicago.
“He is a humble, real, true man of the church,” Dr. Moreland said. “All those years in Peru serving the poor, all that ministry, he’ll bring to the seat of St. Peter. The values of Villanova University will have an international platform. We will be able to serve the church in a wider way.”
Father Bernie Scianna, OSA, Ph.D, Senior Associate Dean of Students for Student Support, has known Pope Leo for about 40 years. After the first day of the conclave, Father Bernie sent the then-Cardinal Prevost an email conveying the pride and honor that the Augustinians felt having a Villanova alumnus partake in the conclave. Prevost had responded immediately asking them to “keep praying.”
The next day, after hearing Prevost’s name announced, Father Bernie reported being pleasantly surprised but not shocked. He recounted being present at Prevost’s cardinal installation, and he thought then that Prevost had all the credentials to be a successful pope.
“The word ‘pontiff’ means bridge, and I think he’ll be a bridge between factions,” Father Bernie said. “That, whether you’re conservative, or a progressive, or liberal, whatever labels may be out there, I think Bob would say, ‘Let’s look at the mission of Jesus.’”
Although the selection of Pope Leo XIV did not shock Father Bernie, it came as a shock to many others.
“I think he was an unlikely candidate because he was not a name that we heard in the news,” Associate Director of Liturgical Music, Sean McElwee said. “That goes to show you, what does public opinion for it matter in the grand scheme of things? And that is scriptural because, like, King David was the unlikely one, and he was the one that got chosen to be the leader, so that’s an example. That’s often how these things work, that’s often how God works. Look at how the Messiah came to us: born in a stable. It’s telling, but it’s also part of our history.”
In his first speech following the conclave, Pope Leo opened with, “Peace be with all of you.” On the balcony of the Vatican, he talked about being a pope of peace and the importance of being a Church that always seeks peace. He also called himself a “son of St. Augustine.”
When Pope Leo said, “Peace be with all of you,” Father Bernie truly felt he was addressing all.
“I think he’ll try to include people as Francis did,” Father Bernie said. “I think he’ll be sensitive to the role of women in the church as far as them having some say in things. And, also, I think he’ll be friendly to groups like the LGBTQ+. I’m not saying he agrees on changing doctrine or changing policy, but I think he will be welcoming and inclusive. So, I’m hoping that message will get to people throughout the world.”
Father Peter has called on all members of the Villanova community to take some time looking within themselves and within their faith under Pope Leo’s guidance.
“As a University community, let us take time for prayer, reflection and thoughtful discourse as we look ahead to the guidance of the Holy Father,” Father Peter wrote. “May his leadership strengthen our resolve, inspire meaningful action, and remind us that as educators, students and individuals, we are called not only to learn but also to lead with courage, wisdom and faith.”
Father Jeremy Hiers, OSA, Director for the Augustinians and Director for Justice and Peace for the Augustinians, resonated with Leo’s leadership centered around peace.
In his work as Director for Peace and Justice, Father Jeremy oversees many of the Augustinian ministries to the poor and the marginalized, which closely aligns with the mission of Pope Leo.
“When he selected the name, Pope Leo, the first thing that really came to my mind was Pope Leo the XIII, the foundation for modern Catholic social teaching,” Father Jeremy said. “That, I think, is so rooted in our Augustinian tradition because Augustine himself had such a devotion to the poor. I think it’s really exciting because I think Pope Leo the XIV has sent a message by that name, that he feels called to continue the legacy of Pope Leo XIII.”
Graduate Liturgical Music Assistant, Bridget Rickard, felt similarly compelled by his name selection.
“I was inspired by the name he took,” Rickard said. “I think Pope Leo the XIV, in his name, is signaling to us that he is going to be focused on social justice, and I think that’s really timely.”
Although Pope Leo was born in the United States, he spent the majority of his life as a missionary in Peru.
Senior chemistry major, Anabelle McGinley, shared her feelings of being a Peruvian Villanovan.
“Because my mom is where my Peruvian heritage comes from, the fact that they elected someone who spent so much time in Peru is really exciting,” McGinley said. “I don’t really know any other Peruvian people [at Villanova], so I don’t really keep in touch with that a lot at Villanova. So, the fact that such a prominent person has both those attributes is really exciting.”
Many Villanovans have reported feelings of anticipation as the papacy officially begins. They have shared they will continue to proudly throw their “V’s up” in Victory.
