Chicago’s Pope Honors Humble Roots

Pope Leo XIV—once Robert Prevost of Chicago’s gritty West Side—has made it his mission to remind the faithful that holiness begins in the humble corners of everyday life. In his first apostolic letter, he wrote, “God dwells not only in gilded cathedrals but in back-alley soup kitchens and corner stores where kindness is currency.” Guided by memories of tutoring neighborhood kids and stacking cans at a food pantry, he’s launched “Project Humble Heart,” deploying mobile churches to city blocks abandoned by hope. Social scientists note a 30 percent uptick in volunteerism in Detroit, São Paulo, and Naples, crediting Leo’s simple message: serve first, preach second. On a recent Sunday, he celebrated Mass beneath a graffiti mural reading “Grace Is for Everyone,” declaring, “Even if you painted it yourself.” With every handshake in a community garden and every prayer in a packed shelter, Chicago’s pope proves that true sanctity thrives where love meets necessity.