American Pope Leo XIV

Childhood

Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955 at Mercy Hospital in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois¹. He was the third of four children in a household blending French-Italian and Spanish traditions.

Growing up in Dolton, he attended St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic School, serving as an altar boy and excelling in classical studies². His early fascination with scripture and mathematics foreshadowed his dual interests in theology and logic.

Family life centered around bilingual hymns and daily prayers, while his grandparents’ missionary tales inspired his vocation.