By Maria Tsvetkova
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Excitement rippled through New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Sunday morning, the first since an American was picked to lead the Roman Catholic Church in a selection that surprised and delighted many of his countrymen and women.
At Sunday Mass, the landmark, Gothic-style church – the focal point of Catholicism in the most populous U.S. city – was brimming with worshippers eager to celebrate the unexpected achievement of Chicago native Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV.
Many were happy to share their thoughts on the new pontiff and the variety of ways they could relate to him personally.
On the steps leading to the cathedral gates, Patrick Sheridan, who came to the Mass from New Jersey, stood alongside his wife Mary. The couple were elated to learn that the new pope was a graduate of Philadelphia’s Villanova University, the same school many of their family members attended.
“We were extremely excited when we heard about it,” Patrick Sheridan said.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York, was still in Rome on Sunday after the pope’s selection, Monsignor Joseph LaMorte, the archdiocese’s vicar general, told parishioners during Mass.
LaMorte, who is Dolan’s deputy, said he was keen to meet with the cardinal when he returns to New York.
“We can’t wait to hear some of the stories that he’s allowed to talk about,” LaMorte said. “You know the secrecy of the conclave is very, very serious.”
Jason Graham, speaking outside the cathedral, said having an American Pope could help improve the image of the United States abroad.
“Our country’s not looking so great, especially with the current administration,” Graham said, referring to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other policies that are unpopular in other countries.
“But I think that (the new pope) is a positive influence for America, and I think he’s going to have a positive impact on how other people in the world will see America,” he said.
For Lucero De Paz, a Hispanic American from Texas, the most appealing aspect of Leo XIV’s background was his missionary and humanitarian work in Peru, where the new pope spent decades and was granted a second citizenship.
“I felt a lot better, I think, about where he stands as far as immigration issues that are happening today,” De Paz said. “Well-being of all Latinos is a huge issue to me, not just as a Christian and Catholic, but also culturally.”
Trump has taken a series of aggressive measures aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrants, many of them from Latin America, since he took office in January.
Sadie Murlaney, who hails from Scotland, came to New York to celebrate her birthday and stopped by St. Patrick’s for the Mass. She said she was happy to learn that the new pope took the same name as her first grandson Leo.
Murlaney said she would pray for the pope to help restore peace in the world.
“With all the wars going on, it’s not a nice place just now,” she said. “We hopefully pray for him to help any way we can.”
(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova in New York; Editing by Frank McGurty and Nia Williams)
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