History was made in Vatican City on Thursday as the Catholic Church elected its leader. White smoke billowed over the Sistine Chapel before the announcement that Cardinal Robert Prevost is the new pope. Born in Chicago, Prevost is the first American-born Cardinal and the first from the Augustinian order to be elected to the role, a process that began earlier in the week. According to the Vatican News, he served as the bishop of Chiclayo before being named the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under Pope Francis.

Father Dan Schuster of St. Mary's Catholic Church in Luxemburg and Holy Trinity Catholic Parish says the election of an American pope is both exciting and shocking, but believes his background will help him serve God and the church well in the new role.

In a previous interview, Prevost called himself a missionary, saying, "my vocation, like that of every Christian, is to be a missionary, to proclaim the Gospel wherever one is.” Now known as Pope Leo XIV, he took to the balcony in St. Peter’s Square to say, “peace be with you all” in his first public comments.  

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