From Chicago Streets to Peter's Throne

The son of Louis Prevost and Mildred Mart�nez never imagined his path from Chicago's South Side would lead to the papacy. Young Robert's bilingual upbringing (English/Spanish) prepared him for missionary work in Peru, where he served 13 years before becoming Bishop of Chiclayo. "Those dusty roads taught me more than any theology class," reflects the first Augustinian pope. His election on May 8, 2025 shocked experts - the unassuming canon law expert (PhD from Angelicum) was managing bishop appointments months earlier. The 69-year-old's mathematical mind (Villanova '77) now calculates how to balance tradition and progress. "I'm just a kid from Chicago who said yes," he told reporters after choosing the name Leo XIV, honoring both Leo XIII and his father Louis.