‘He's one of us': South Holland church celebrates bragging rights as Pope Leo XIV's de facto home parish
The 84-year-old could not believe it when she heard that the new pope was from the same parish she belonged to for years. Her son was in the second grade when Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was in eighth grade at St. Mary's school.
'To me, it was a miracle' she said, emphasizing how she got to go back inside the building of the former St. Mary of the Assumption Church. 'Something good came out of Dolton.'
She was one of more than 100 worshippers who attended Mass on Sunday at Christ Our Savior Catholic Church in South Holland — the church parishioners were sent to after St. Mary of the Assumption closed.
The archdiocese merged St. Mary of the Assumption with Queen of Apostles in Riverdale in 2011 to become the St. Mary, Queen of Apostles church. That parish merged with two others in 2019 to become Christ Our Savior, according to the Chicago Archdiocese.
As a result, Christ Our Savior has bragging rights as Prevost's childhood parish.
Indeed, Prevost's elevation to pope has also drawn people from outside the community to the South Holland church. The Rev. Gosbert Rwezahura, a pastor at Christ Our Savior, said that more than 40 people have visited the parish since Thursday, coming from places such as Des Plaines and Winnetka.
Some of the people who attended Mass on Sunday shared their small connections with the new pope, ranging from in-laws who lived across the street from the pope's childhood home to people who knew his family.
'I thought I was going to be in a grave before we got an American pope,' David M. Kilheeney said.
While Kilheeney said he didn't know the pope personally, the 66-year-old said he used to attend St. Mary of the Assumption. He believes he may have been blessed by Pope Leo back when he was a cardinal.
Dennis Peters, music director at Christ Our Savior, said he played music at a wedding that Pope Leo officiated for the daughter of a good friend of his named Gary, who passed away.
'When he was named pope, it struck a bell,' Peters said. But the connection did not hit him until Gary's son told Peters that he posted about the tight bond between his dad and the pope on Facebook.
'I know my friend Gary — he's going to be turning handstands in heaven,' Peters said.
Throughout both morning Masses, sunlight poured in through the stained glass windows at Christ Our Savior. It was business as usual for the most part, but church leaders also took the time to acknowledge Mother's Day — and the new pope.
'He is one of us,' Rwezahura said at the beginning of the 10:30 a.m. Mass to a crowd of a little more than a hundred people. Applause erupted.
Deacon Mel Stasinski made a similar acknowledgement, emphasizing that Pope Leo is not only from the area, but a White Sox fan.
'Go Sox!' one man in the audience at the 8:30 a.m. Mass yelled in response.
While the parishioners were praying and honoring Mother's Day, Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich made a public pitch for Leo to visit his hometown soon.
'It probably won't be the first one,' Cupich said during an appearance on CBS' 'Face the Nation.' 'But we're going to do some heavy lobbying for Chicago to be on the itinerary when he comes to the United States.'
Pope Benedict XVI traveled to his native Bavaria on this first international trip in 2006. Pope John Paul II made nine official trips to his Polish homeland and visited Chicago during his 1979 U.S. tour.
Pope Francis II traveled extensively during his tenure, but he never visited his native Argentina despite a stated desire to do so.
Dolton residents said that the news of Pope Leo has also been a source of pride for the suburb, which has been plagued with scandals, including federal investigations into former Mayor Tiffany Henyard, who recently lost a reelection bid to newly sworn-in Mayor Jason House.
'I'm on the Dolton group on Facebook and the St. Mary's group on Facebook and I've seen the comments, the people who have left Dolton who are like, 'It's no good. It's fallen,'' said Elva Zamora, one of Lionor's children. 'But now everybody's proud that they came from there, and it's like, 'Where were these comments 10 years ago?''
But now — like her mother — the 52-year-old hopes that Pope Leo's election can be a 'unifying moment' for a community that suffered political turmoil under its former mayor.
Since news of the pope broke, visitors have flocked to St. Mary of the Assumption to see the church Pope Leo grew up attending, which was an emotional feat for some of those who grew up attending that church. The church is in need of repair, but community members expressed hope that something will be done with the space to honor the legacy of Pope Leo.
'Even if they just have some little shiny looking thing, you know, a plaque or something, stating that this was the home church of the first American pope,' said Diane Sheeran, who used to teach religious education at St. Mary of the Assumption.
But regardless of what happens to the building, one thing is clear: The election of Pope Leo brings a new sense of pride for the parishioners of Christ Our Savior.
'It's got to be a shot in the arm,' Stasinski said. 'We're tucked away here on the South Side of Chicago and we've been experiencing a lot of merging parishes and so on. It's been tough on parishioners when they have to leave their parish and go to another when they get merged. And I think this gives a shot in the arm to everybody — they're proud of the parish.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
7 hours ago
- Forbes
Why Bigger Isn't Better When It Comes To HVAC Systems
Bigger is not always better. In American society, we're often conditioned to believe that bigger is better. While that mindset works in some contexts, it can be disastrous when applied to HVAC systems. According to a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) report, improper HVAC installation is alarmingly common—impacting approximately 65% of systems evaluated. Among these, 31% were found to be 2021, Air Doctors Heating and Cooling—a Southeast-based home performance contractor—surveyed 3,880 homes. Their findings were even more startling: 98% of the systems were oversized by at least 200% of their heating capacity, and at least 33% oversized in cooling capacity. Oversizing can lead to poor comfort, higher energy costs and increased likelihood of equipment failure due to short cycling. The Automobile Analogy More power can't hurt, right? You might wonder: What's the big deal with having extra capacity? More power can't hurt, right? Not installing a heavy-duty pickup truck engine on the frame of a compact car—and then using it to commute to work. It's inefficient, overkill and, ultimately, harmful. That's what happens when HVAC systems are oversized: they're mismatched to the needs of the space, causing performance and reliability Challenges With the automobile analogy in mind, know that furnaces and boilers operate most efficiently when they reach their steady-state operating temperature, which typically takes five to 10 minutes. If the system shuts off before reaching this state—common with oversized units—the combustion process never achieves optimal efficiency. This results in burning more fuel without fully converting it into usable heat, leading to waste and higher utility same holds true for oversized air conditioners and heat pumps. These systems tend to short-cycle—turning on and off in quick succession—requiring more electricity to repeatedly start the compressor than to simply run it steadily. Additionally, short run times don't allow the system to effectively remove humidity from the air, potentially causing comfort issues, material degradation, and in extreme cases promote the growth of microorganisms like mold or Cycling and Mechanical Stress Short cycling is one of the most damaging consequences of oversizing. It accelerates wear and tear on critical components, reducing system lifespan and increasing repair frequency. Think again of the driving analogy: most people would agree highway miles are gentler on a vehicle than stop-and-go city traffic. In HVAC terms, short cycling is the equivalent of stop-and-go driving—stressful, inefficient, and costly over Compromises Oversized HVAC systems often fail to maintain steady indoor temperatures. They cool or heat too quickly, shut off, and leave behind uneven conditions. Homeowners frequently respond by adjusting their thermostats more aggressively, which only exacerbates the issue. The result is discomfort, frustration, and a system that's constantly fighting Importance of Load Calculations The cornerstone of any successful HVAC retrofit or installation is an accurate load calculation. This determines the heating and cooling requirements needed to keep the space comfortable. If the calculation is wrong, everything downstream—equipment selection, duct sizing, airflow balancing—will also be off. The consequences include energy waste, occupant discomfort, shortened equipment life, and increased service calls.A Smarter Approach: Amply Energy One company addressing this issue head-on is Amply Energy, a software innovator for heat pump professionals. Amply's sales and design copilot enables contractors to generate better proposals faster. It features real-time ACCA Manual J load calculations, 3D floor plans, virtual installs, and polished sales documents—making it easier to do the job right the first Eric Fitz and Ed Smith, who also co-host The Heat Pump Podcast, regularly discuss the challenges and opportunities in HVAC entrepreneurship and asked about how widespread the issue of residential HVAC systems being installed without accurate load calculations, and the impact this has on system performance and homeowner comfort, Eric said 'Unfortunately, especially in retrofit situations, it's still quite common for systems to be installed without proper load calculations. Poor sizing can result in uneven temperatures, higher utility bills, potentially shorter equipment lifespan, and degraded indoor air quality. Oversized systems, for example, tend to cycle on and off too quickly, which results in less effective dehumidification and less time for air to be filtered. The biggest risk is fundamentally getting the design wrong, which often means significantly over- or undersizing the system. A flawless installation can't save a flawed design.'Ed Smith added, 'We have a lot of empathy for contractors here. They're being asked to do more than ever. Traditional load calc tools are clunky and slow. That's why we built Amply—to make proper design fast, intuitive, and part of the sales process. If contractors see how easy it is to use such tools and experience the reactions from homeowners, it'll make doing proper load calcs a no-brainer for the industry.'Conclusion Oversized HVAC systems may seem like a precautionary upgrade, but they often cause more harm than good. From wasted energy and humidity issues to early system failure and poor occupant comfort, the hidden costs are significant. Proper load calculations are no longer a luxury—they are a necessity. With modern tools like Amply Energy's software, contractors can confidently right-size systems, earn trust with homeowners, and improve overall performance. In the world of HVAC, smarter—not bigger—is better.
12 hours ago
Pope Leo XIV surprises Catholic youth festival with unexpected popemobile salute
VATICAN CITY -- VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Leo XIV surprised tens of thousands of young Catholics on Tuesday and showed up unexpectedly at a Holy Year welcome ceremony, thrilling the kids and receiving a rock star's welcome in the first big youth event of his pontificate. Leo emerged in St. Peter's Square in his popemobile at the end of an evening Mass that kicked off the Jubilee of Youth, a weeklong celebration for young Catholics. The estimated 120,000 young pilgrims who had packed the square erupted in shocked cheers and chants, as Leo looped around the square and up and down the boulevard leading to it. For 20 minutes, Leo beamed, waved and clearly seemed to enjoy the outpouring of enthusiasm from his perch on the popemobile, as he took in the sea of cheering, flag-waving young people from around the world as the setting sun cast a golden glow over the basilica. In a brief off-the-cuff salute and blessing from the altar, he told the young pilgrims that they were beacons of light, hope and peace that the world needs today. 'The world needs messages of hope. You are this message, and must give hope to everyone,' he said in a mix of Spanish, English and Italian. 'We want peace in the world. We want peace in the world!' Leo, the first American pope, hadn't been expected to meet with the young pilgrims as a group until the weekend, when he was to preside over a vigil Saturday and Mass on Sunday in the highlight of the Jubilee week. Tuesday's Mass had been celebrated by the Italian archbishop who organized the Holy Year, Archbishop Rino Fisichella, but it was he who urged the kids to not leave the square at the end, because the pope 'had a surprise for us.' The crowd responded with the classic refrain from Catholic youth gatherings: 'This is the youth of the pope.' This week, downtown Rome has swarmed with energetic, singing and dancing masses of teenage Catholic scouts, church and Catholic school groups whose numbers are expected to swell to 500,000 by the weekend. It all had the vibe of a scaled-down World Youth Day, the once-every-three-year Catholic Woodstock festival that was inaugurated by St. John Paul II and maintained by every pope since. Tuesday began with groups of Catholic influencers — priests, nuns and ordinary faithful who use their social media presence to preach and teach the faith — passing through the basilica's Holy Door, a rite of passage for the estimated 32 million people participating in the Vatican's 2025 Holy Year celebrations. Francis met with some of the influencers earlier Tuesday and thanked them for using their digital platforms to spread the faith. But he warned them against neglecting human relationships in their pursuit of clicks and followers, and cautioned them to not fall prey to fake news and the 'frivolity' of online encounters. 'It is not simply a matter of generating content, but of creating an encounter between hearts,' Leo said in a speech that showed his ease in switching between languages. 'Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism.' 'It is up to us — to each one of you — to ensure that this culture remains human,' he said. 'Our mission — your mission — is to nurture a culture of Christian humanism, and to do so together' in what he called the only networks that really matter: of friendship, love and the 'network of God.' Pablo Licheri, who founded the Catholic Mass Times app, which provides locations and times for Catholic liturgies around the world and has registered 2 million downloads, said that he has been heartened by both Leo's message of unity and the enthusiasm of young Catholics like him who have descended on Rome. 'I was especially moved to meet so many fellow Catholic influencers in person and to pray together with others who share the same passion for spreading the joy of God's love,' he said after Tuesday's Mass.
Fox News
14 hours ago
- Fox News
Chicago's 'Rooftop Pastor' to embark on epic cross-country journey to benefit America's troubled youth
A Chicago pastor, known for his unconventional forms of activism, is taking the next step in trying to inspire the country's youth. Pastor Corey Brooks, known as "Rooftop Pastor," is preparing to walk 3,000 miles from New York to Los Angeles this September. He said his goal is to raise awareness and funding for community development in Chicago, and for underserved youth across the country. "Our country has gotten away from God, our families and communities have gotten away from God, and we need a spiritual awakening in America," Brooks told "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday. "That's one of the reasons why I'm walking across America, to take the hope to people across cities and suburbs and countryside to let them know that we can change things." Brooks gained national attention in 2011 when he spent 94 days living on the roof of a rundown Chicago motel to protest violence and the deaths of young people in his community. The pastor aimed to raise money to demolish the abandoned motel, which he said had become a hub for drugs and crime. That demonstration was a success and led to the founding of Project H.O.O.D., a non-profit aimed at helping at-risk youths escape poverty and violence. The organization's website says it provides mentorship, training, and community support to local residents. "In Chicago, we've taken one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in all of America, and we've transformed it," said Brooks of their previous work. Now, he wants his latest mission, dubbed the "Walk Across America," to help him aid even more young people. The journey's goal is to raise $25 million in private donations to finish building Project H.O.O.D.'s 90,000-square-foot Leadership and Economic Opportunity Center in Chicago, debt-free. Brooks said he aspires to spread Project H.O.O.D. throughout the country. "We have a school to put in place. Our goal is to plant Project H.O.O.D. across the country," Brooks said. "That's one of the reasons why we're walking to raise these funds. It's not just a walk about raising money, but it's a walk about raising merit." Brooks said the effort has already received support from private citizens, business leaders, and donors. "We're building a 90,000-square-foot center. And that's because of the help of [the] American people and [the] Fox Network," he said, expressing gratitude to those who have already supported his walk. Brooks said he hopes his walk will teach others that faith and hard work can help people do great things. "I really believe America still works," he said. "When we have faith and hard work and vision activated, we can make anything happen in America."
