Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost was the youngest of three boys growing up in the tight-knit Catholic community centered around St. Mary of the Assumption Parish on the far South Side of Chicago. In the 1950s and 1960s, Catholic life in the area was active and deeply rooted, with families like the Prevosts attending parish schools and participating in church life. Over time, however, the neighborhood changed as demographic shifts and economic decline led to the closure of schools, churches, and other Catholic institutions. The once-thriving parish eventually merged with others, and its building now stands empty and deteriorating.
This transformation reflects a broader story of Catholicism in urban America, where changing cityscapes and cultural shifts have reshaped longstanding communities. Rob Paral, a researcher at the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, offered a significant perspective on the pope’s upbringing. He explained that although the Prevosts worshipped at a South Side church, they lived just beyond the city line in Dolton, a working-class suburb.
Paral described the area not by what it is, but by what it is not. It is not leafy or picturesque, but instead defined by highways, industry, and railroad tracks. He emphasized that Pope Leo comes from what he called the grit and the real Chicago, a part of the region more reflective of the southern suburbs than the wealthier north and west. According to Paral, this background situates the pope’s story in a setting marked by authenticity, struggle, and grounded roots in a community that has seen significant transformation.
Written by Ruth Graham, a national reporter based in Dallas who covers religion, faith, and values for The New York Times, and Julie Bosman, the Chicago bureau chief who reports on stories throughout the Midwest. Additional reporting was contributed by Mitch Smith and Robert Chiarito, with research support from Susan C. Beachy.
From New York Times (To go to the actual article, please click on this link.)
