Grapevine deli owner was new Pope's schoolmate
The Brief
A Grapevine deli owner went to the same school as Pope Leo XIV.
Both attended St. Mary's in Riverdale, Illinois.
Weinberger's Deli is now offering a "Papa Leo" sandwich in the pope's honor.
GRAPEVINE, Texas - A Grapevine deli owner is honoring the new pope, who just happens to be his former schoolmate.
The backstory
Dan Weinberger, the owner of Weinberger's Deli in Grapevine, attended the same grade school as Pope Leo XIV, who was then known as Robert Prevost, in Riverdale, Illinois.
READ MORE: Chicagoans welcome 'Da Pope' as native son becomes first American pontiff
Weinberger did not personally know Prevost, who was three years younger than him, but became aware of his story during the conclave.
When he heard his fellow St. Mary's alum had been elected as pope, Weinberger was shocked.
What they're saying
"It's crazy to think that you grew up in the same community where the pope would have gone to the same festivals that you went to, went to the same ice cream parlor, went to Newman Drugs, went to Value Village and all these places and actually lived in the neighborhood with you," said Weinberger. "I sat down on the couch and thought, 'this is amazing.'"
To celebrate Prevost's election, Weinberger created a new menu item.
The sandwich is called the "Papa Leo."
Weinberger says he researched what kind of food the new pope likes for his creation.
The sandwich, which is based on a popular creation in Uruguay, has beef, ham, lamb and a sunny side up egg.
Weinbeger is charging 14 dollars for the sub because he is Pope Leo the 14th.
Biography
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, is a Chicago native born in 1955.
After joining the Order of Saint Augustine in 1977 and making his solemn vows in 1981, he earned degrees in mathematics, divinity, and canon law—including a doctorate from the Pontifical College of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Prevost was ordained in 1982 and began his pastoral and academic service in Peru in 1985, where he served in roles such as chancellor, seminary rector, canon law professor, and judicial vicar.
In 1999, Prevost was elected provincial prior of the Augustinians in Chicago, and just a few years later, he became prior general of the worldwide order, serving two terms until 2013.
He then returned to Peru at Pope Francis' request to serve as apostolic administrator—and later bishop—of the Diocese of Chiclayo.
In January 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a powerful Vatican role responsible for episcopal appointments worldwide.
He was made a cardinal in September of the same year.
The Source
Information in this article comes from an interview with Dan Weinberger. More information on Pope Leo XIV comes from the Catholic Church.
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