Robert Francis Prevost has become the 267th occupant of the throne of St. Peter and he will be known as Leo XIV. Though he spent much of his life abroad, Pope Leo XIV hails from the Chicago area, where he grew up in Dolton just south of the city and attended a Catholic church and school on Chicago’s South Side.

Chicagoans quickly searched to figure out where Pope Leo XIV fit into the Windy City, which is home to hundreds of thousands of Catholics. Was he a fan of the White Sox or the Cubs? Was he from the city or the suburbs? More crucially, where did he attend church in his early years?

The Prevost family attended St. Mary of the Assumption Church, at 13764 S. Leyden Ave. in Chicago's Riverdale neighborhood, right at the very southernmost border of the city and adjacent to suburban Riverdale and Dolton. Leo XIV was an altar boy at the church. In Dolton, Pope Leo’s childhood home at 212 E. 141st Place has garnered the attention of members of the church across the world. The small brick cottage has become a must-see destination for many as travelers have flocked to the house to pay tribute and take photos.  The Village of Dolton plans to take ownership of Pope Leo XIV’s childhood home through eminent domain.

In the hours after the announcement of Pope Leo XIV's election, reports surfaced stating he rooted for the Cubs. But soon after, those reports were thrown into question as others said he actually roots for the White Sox. The Pope's brother, John Prevost, who lives in New Lenox to this day, has now confirmed that the Pope is in fact a long time White Sox fan. He can even be spotted on the broadcast of a 2005 White Sox World Series game.

Pope Leo XIV spent many years in Peru as a missionary and later as a Bishop. In 1999, Leo XIV returned to Chicago again and was elected provincial prior of the Mother of Good Counsel province in the Archdiocese. Two and a half years after that, he was elected prior general of the Augustinian — a role in which he served two terms until 2013.

Pope Leo XIV now spends most of his days in the Vatican and traveling the world. However, his roots will always been here in Illinois as America’s first pope.