For the first time in history, a son of the American Midwest now leads the Catholic Church. With the election of Pope Leo XIV to the Chair of St. Peter, the U.S.—and especially Michigan—can proudly call the pontiff one of its own.
Not only does Pope Leo XIV understand the quirks—the “Opes” and “Nopes”—of Midwestern life, but his spiritual and personal formation is deeply rooted in West Michigan.
Pope Leo is a graduate of St. Augustine Seminary High School in Holland, a place that helped shape the man who now leads over a billion Catholics worldwide.
It’s a moment that might finally convince the world of what Michiganders have long believed: We have more influence than we are given credit for.
Robert Prevost, the youngest of three sons born to Mr. and Mrs. Louis Prevost, grew up in the Chicago suburb of Dolton, Illinois. According to his older brother, Robert grew up a typical Midwesterner, loving his local team, the White Sox.
During his early years, he moved to Michigan to attend St. Augustine’s Catholic Seminary in Laketown Township, a high school operated by the Augustinian order. Attracted to the region due to his love for the brotherhood of the Augustinians, Prevost established himself as a prominent seminarian.
Newspaper clippings obtained from 1972 reveal Prevost as a senior who was editor-in-chief of the yearbook, National Honor Society vice president, president of the Library and Mission Club, and senator to the student congress in Lansing.
Prevost was also awarded a letter of commendation for his exceptional performance on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. One could imagine his classmates already saw papal potential in him.
The Holland Sentinel reported that Prevost revisited Western Michigan for his high school reunion in 2013. In an interview with WOODTV, the Bishop of Kalamazoo, Edward Lohse, mentioned that he had met Prevost while at the Vatican.
Prevost had told the bishop that he went to high school in his diocese and would help out at the nearby parishes. If you live in Kalamazoo, you just might be walking in the footsteps of our new pope.
Bishop Lohse told local news about the moment of the announcement: “As soon as they said ‘Robertum,’ I was thinking I only know one guy in the running whose name was Robert.”
“He is a wonderful man,” Lohse added. “There are times when you just meet somebody and get the sense that this is a really good person.”
So what could be in store for us with the historic election of a pope who spent time in Michigan?
From his modest beginnings in Dolton, Illinois, to his years of service in Kalamazoo, Pope Leo XIV represents the very best of the American Midwest: humility, resilience, and a quiet devotion to community.
The Vicar of Christ. The Bishop of Rome. A Son of Michigan.
His election not only marks a historic moment for the Catholic Church but serves as a powerful reminder: Faith, leadership, and grace often grow in unexpected places.
And through Pope Leo XIV, the Midwest has offered the world a shepherd with a square slice in one hand and a servant’s heart in the other.
Ray Hilbrich is a minor league baseball player in Utica, Michigan. He is an avid enjoyer of sports, America, and a good cigar.
