In May, Dan Wambeke, a parishioner of the Church of St. Eloi in Ghent, led a group of high school seniors from the Good Teacher Great Books Classical Homeschool Co-op, which meets at the Church of St. Edward in Minneota, on a pilgrimage to Rome. They were blessed to be outside of the conclave in St. Peter’s Square during the announcement of new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. Pictured l-r, Dan Wambeke, Ana Wambeke, Elia Koch, Hannah Hofer, and Kathryn Hofer. (Photo submitted)
Local Catholics share their thoughts on learning about first American-born pope
by Katie Roiger
Prairie Catholic correspondent
On Thursday, May 8, 2025, when “Habemus papem!” (We have a pope) rang out in St. Peter’s Square in Rome, where people gathered awaiting the announcement of who would be the next pope, they heard “Peace be with all of you!,” the first words of Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Bishop of Rome. These words elicited strong emotions from the faithful, joy being foremost among them.
Dan Wambeke, a parishioner at the Church of St. Eloi in Ghent, Minnesota, had what he termed the “great good fortune” of being part of the crowd of approximately 100,000 waiting expectantly outside of St. Peter’s Basilica. Wambeke was in Rome at the time, leading a group of high school seniors on a Jubilee pilgrimage. He said they immediately canceled their planned itinerary so that the students could enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“We were there for the first two black smoke signals, and while they were slightly disappointing, they were very expected,” said Wambeke. “On the afternoon that Pope Leo was elected, there was a palpably different energy in the crowd, as we all knew that it was quite possible that at any moment we might see the next successor to St. Peter,” said Wambeke. “It’s surreal to be in a crowd of thousands of people just staring at a metal pipe sticking out of a roof!”
Wambeke described the moment when the white smoke finally plumed from the pipe as almost unreal despite the cheers from the crowd. “The shared surge of joy of all of us gathered there in that moment was euphoric,” he said.
When the new pope first presented himself, Wambeke recalled a sense of exuberance to see his steady and joyful demeanor. “I think we can look forward to good things from him.”
On the other side of the world, in New Ulm, Cathedral High School student Teresa Fischer was spending time in Eucharistic adoration with classmates when one of her teachers received a notification that white smoke had been seen over St. Peter's Square.
“We ran back to school when we were done and pulled up the livestream,” she said. “We were all really excited.”
The same feeling of excitement was shared by Deacon Mark Kober, director of the Permanent Diaconate Formation Program of the Diocese of New Ulm. Watching on his phone in an optometrist’s waiting room, he said that when he heard the name Robert Provost, he thought the Chicago cardinal had been simply given the task of announcing the new pope.
“I think it’s just marvelous,” he said about the Church’s first American pope. “[Provost] worked for Pope Francis in the capacity of finding new bishops. When you think about it in hindsight, a lot of the cardinals are involved in making recommendations for new bishops, and a lot of them probably knew him,” Kober said.
Kari Niles, director of Religious Education and Youth Ministry for the Church of St. Dionysius in Tyler, was also watching the livestream with other staff members as the new Holy Father stepped onto the balcony for his first address.
“For him to be an American was really shocking,” Niles said. “I thought it was really cool that my daughter posted on Facebook how excited she was to have an American pope in her lifetime. It’s wonderful to see all the generations of the Church talking about it. I heard somebody speculate that more Americans might come back to the Church because we have an American pope,” Niles said. “Maybe it will spark some interest. It’s something to pray for!”
For Flormira Garcia, originally from Chiclayo, Peru, and who now lives in Norwood Young America, Minnesota, the fact that the new pope had been a missionary in her homeland was fantastic news.
Referring to Pope Leo’s years of ministry in Peru, Garcia said, “His professional formation was among the poor and humble people, sharing the culture, the food, and the needs of the forgotten communities. He worked hard for the poorest during COVID and natural disasters.” Garcia believes that the time the new pope spent in Peru has helped him understand the genuine needs of Latin America and has taught him how communities live their faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Perhaps the continued discussion about the Church’s first American pope will bring a sense of hope that Catholics may see a rise in their numbers, and Deacon Kober thinks that an American pope will help the world view Catholicism in a new light, particularly in the United States.
“It gives us a marvelous opportunity to let the world know a little more about the American Church,” Kober said. “We have eight people now who want to do the summer course to enter the Catholic Church in the fall, which we’ve never had before. There’s an awakening, and I know the inspiration of the new pope has not hurt that.”
“The idea that the new pope is familiar with the United States’ customs and interests doesn't hurt, either,” Kober said. “[Provost] was at the World Series when the White Sox won, so maybe he can become a Twins fan, and we’ll win a championship,” Kober joked.
Garcia said she hopes most of all that the new pope will be a force for unity and growth, a beacon of hope for the Church's future.
“There is so much conflict in humanity these days,” she said. “After we heard the news [of the new pope], I felt it was God’s response to the prayers of his people. I think [Pope Leo XIV] will take the best of Pope Francis’s works and add his own experience. He brings together groups with different points of view. I think he will be a tireless worker for peace.”