Pope Leo XIV had high aspirations from a very young age, his family said.
“I think he knew it by first grade, that he was going to be a priest,” his brother, John Prevost, told NBC Chicago. “And there was no question in anyone’s mind.”
Even then, Prevost said the only question his family asked was, “What order priest?”
“I think the question that our parents had was, ‘Would you be a diocesan priest and work at a parish or would you be an order priest? Which he chose, Augustinian. He could have picked Loyola, Jesuit, or he could have picked Franciscan. For some reason, he went Augustinian. That was the only question that was in people’s minds.”
Leo never faltered from that vision, diverting from the path of a normal childhood after eighth grade, when he left for the Augustinian Seminary in Michigan.
“He went right from high school seminary, and then Augustinian College at Villanova and then the year of theology. So he wasn’t home a lot, except for summer vacations,” Prevost said of the pope’s background.
Though his brother’s aspirations came as no surprise to Prevost and his family, his absence from home didn’t hurt any less.
“It was just a normal thing. It was just, we knew it was coming so it wasn’t a shock. I think, more than being a shock, I think it was, we’re going to miss him,” Prevost said. “Because we drove him to Holland, Michigan, and unpacked, the ride going home was horrible, in terms of sadness, because he’s gone.”
Still, despite his dedication, even the pope himself wasn’t expecting to ascend to the level he’s at now.
Long seen as unlikely that a pope from the United States would be elected, the news came as an exciting surprise to Catholics across the Chicago area — and even the pope himself.
“Rob didn’t believe it – I should say, Pope Leo didn’t believe it at all,” Prevost said. “Because there’s not going to be an American pope was the attitude.”
Despite their distance at a young age, Prevost said he remains close with his brother.
Prevost said the siblings talk often, and he tries to help brother “laugh about something, because this is now an awesome responsibility.”
That’ why, before entering the conclave where he would unexpectedly become the first American pope in history, the Chicago native spent time doing some very normal things. Among them were playing Wordle, Words with Friends and watching the movie “Conclave,” Prevost said, citing a call he had with his brother the night before the secret voting process began.
“First, we do Wordle, because this is a regular thing, okay? Then we do Words with Friends. It’s something to keep his mind off of life in the real world,” Prevost said.
He also asked his brother if he watched the movie “Conclave,” which centers on the events that would soon unfold in real life.
“I said, did you watch the movie ‘Conclave’ so you know how to behave? And he had just finished watching the movie ‘Conclave,'” Prevost said. “So he knew how to behave.”
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Prevost said he and his family are scheduled to travel to Rome Friday in an effort to see their relative-turned-pope, though they’re not certain that will happen.
“I don’t know how easy it will be to track him down. And will they let us track him down? I don’t know,” Prevost said.
Prevost did note that he did leave one simple piece of advice with his younger brother.
“Be yourself, because then he’s got it made,” he said.
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