'Quite a privilege'; Diocese of Austin celebrates election of first American Pope
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Catholic Church on Thursday experienced a moment of history when cardinals elected the first-ever U.S. pope.
Chicago-born missionary Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order who spent his career ministering in Peru, was named the 267th pontiff. He took the name Leo XIV.
Catholic communities across the world celebrated the news of the new leader of the Catholic Church, who replaced Pope Francis after his death last month.
In Central Texas, a Catholic population of more than 700,000 covered by the Austin Diocese is undoubtedly marking the occasion.
Diocesan Administrator Father James Misko joined KXAN to talk about the historic moment. The Austin Diocese is currently without a Bishop as of late March, when its former Bishop Joe Vasquez stepped into the role of Archbishop of Galveston-Houston. Misko is the priest appointed during the interim, until a new Bishop is appointed.
“When it happened, it was just overwhelming, of course, as a Catholic priest, to see the new Holy Father come out, and then to realize, wow, he’s an American,” Misko said of Pope Leo XIV. “This is quite a privilege for us. What an honor for us to be able to have the Holy Father be an American.”
Misko said he was in a finance council meeting for the Austin Diocese when white smoke billowed from a chimney of the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new pope. He said he stopped the meeting immediately and everyone at the meeting gathered around his laptop.
“It was just really a magnificent moment for us,” Misko said. “We knew that he was one of the papabile — these are the Cardinals that prognosticators thought could be the next pope,” he explained. “It was about 10 or 12 of them, and so we heard his name, but I didn’t expect that.”
Misko thinks Pope Leo XIV’s background is important to his new role because he “has experienced both with his feet on the ground in a diocese with people, and also at the Vatican with the important work of running the universal church,” Misko said.
Pope Francis brought Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 to assume the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, which is the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations from around the world, according to reporting from the Associated Press. It’s one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church.
Prior to that, Prevost was twice elected prior general, or top leader, of the Augustinian religious order, the 13th-century order founded by St. Augustine, per the AP. Francis moved him from the Augustinian leadership back to Peru in 2014 to serve as the administrator and later archbishop of Chiclayo.
He remained in that position, acquiring Peruvian citizenship in 2015, until Francis brought him to Rome in 2023.
Misko posted a message on the Diocese of Austin’s website on Thursday, celebrating the election of Prevost.
Our hearts are filled with joy and gratitude for our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. In God’s good providence and with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Cardinals have provided the Church with a new shepherd. We ask God to fill him with grace and wisdom to sanctify the Church in unity, teach with truth and mercy, and lead us to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by our lives.
Our time in history is marked by profound and complex challenges. We look to the Holy Father to be a voice that speaks not only for Catholics but for all humanity, bearing witness to the hopes, struggles, and dignity of every person created in God’s image.
As the rock, Pope Leo XIV now endeavors to embed himself onto the mountain of God so that we might have a foothold by which to pull ourselves ever closer to heaven in this life. May the Lord grant him strength in accepting the weight of this sacred office and may he be a faithful Vicar of Christ on earth.
Invoking the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we ask the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal High Priest, to guide Pope Leo XIV as he begins his Petrine ministry to the glory of God and for the good of God’s people.
Sincerely in Christ,
Very Reverend James A. Misko
Diocesan Administrator
St. Mary Cathedral in Austin will host a Mass of Thanksgiving for Pope Leo XIV shortly after noon on Friday. The Mass will also be streamed online.
