Pope Leo XIV worked at this church near Philadelphia before becoming pontiff
The pastor of St. Denis Parish in Havertown, Pennsylvania, who recently met Pope Leo XIV, shared a little-known Philadelphia connection about the pontiff.
The Rev. Kevin Gallagher said it's still settling in that American Cardinal Robert Prevost, a man with local ties whom he saw just last week in Rome as part of the funeral celebrations for Pope Francis, is now the world leader of the Catholic church.
"When I was looking at him, I wasn't necessarily looking at him as the next holy father, the universal pastor of the Catholic Church throughout the world," Gallagher said. "I was looking at somebody who I knew went to Villanova, somebody who I met in the past, and I did not think he would appear on that balcony today as Pope Leo XIV."
Gallagher shared a picture from a dinner last year with Pope Leo XIV, who has a surprising local tie — he worked at St. Denis while he was a student at Villanova long before being named the new pope.
"He worked in our cemetery cutting grass and on the maintenance crew for one summer when he was a student at Villanova," Gallagher said.
Gallagher said there is a lot of pride at St. Denis for Pope Leo XIV.
"I know there is great jubilation on Lancaster Avenue. I have been texting with some of the Augustinians. This used to be an Augustinian parish, and they're just so excited, and we actually have several members of our parish who are classmates of the pope from Villanova," Gallagher said.
As for what kind of Pope Leo XIV will be, Gallagher said: "I think with all my heart that he will be the victor of Christ. He'll be the presence of Christ."
"This is a pope who comes to bring peace and I hope all of us Catholics, Christians and anyone in the world can get behind someone who is leading the body, the Catholic Church, and leading us to goodness," Gallagher added.
