Latest news with #Necco
San Francisco Chronicle
03-07-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pope speaks about childhood and early mornings as an altar boy in unscripted visit with campers
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV spoke publicly about his childhood in Chicago for the first time as pontiff Thursday, recalling that from the age of six he used to get up early to serve as an altar boy at the 6:30 a.m. Mass before going to school. Leo shared the memories during an unscripted visit with the children of Vatican employees who are attending the Holy See's summer camp. They were joined by other children, including Ukrainian young people, who are attending summer programs run by Italy's Caritas charity. The visit, which was not announced in advance, took place in the Vatican's main audience hall, which was decked out with huge inflatable bouncy castles for the estimated 600 kids. One of the young campers, Giulia, asked Leo if he used to go to Mass as a child. The former Robert Prevost, who grew up the youngest of three brothers in the south Chicago suburb of Dolton, said the family always went to Mass on Sundays. 'But starting from when I was around 6 years old, I was also an altar boy in the parish. And so before going to school -- it was a parochial school -- there was Mass at 6:30 a.m.,' he said, emphasizing how early it was. 'And Mom would wake us up and say 'We're going to Mass!' Because serving Mass was something we liked because starting from when I was young, they taught us that Jesus was always close to us.' Leo, who was born in 1955, recalled that at the time, Mass was celebrated in Latin. He said he had to learn it to serve Mass even before he made his First Communion, one of the key sacraments in the church. 'It wasn't so much the language that it was celebrated in but the experience of getting to know other kids who served the Mass together, the friendship, and this closeness with Jesus in the church,' he said. Leo's brother, John Prevost, has said his little brother knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a priest. Young Robert used to pretend to celebrate Mass using their mother's ironing board as an altar and Necco candies — a once-popular sweet — as Communion wafers. History's first American pope spoke in Italian, but he switched to English to address a group of Ukrainian children, some of whom held up Ukrainian flags and snagged Leo autographs. He spoke about the benefits of meeting people from different backgrounds, languages and lands. It was one of the first times Leo has spoken unscripted at length in public, responding to questions posed to him by the children. He has tended to stick to his prepared texts for his audiences so far in his young pontificate. ___
Hamilton Spectator
03-07-2025
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Pope speaks about childhood and early mornings as an altar boy in unscripted visit with campers
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV spoke publicly about his childhood in Chicago for the first time as pontiff Thursday, recalling that from the age of six he used to get up early to serve as an altar boy at the 6:30 a.m. Mass before going to school. Leo shared the memories during an unscripted visit with the children of Vatican employees who are attending the Holy See's summer camp. They were joined by other children, including Ukrainian young people, who are attending summer programs run by Italy's Caritas charity. The visit, which was not announced in advance, took place in the Vatican's main audience hall, which was decked out with huge inflatable bouncy castles for the estimated 600 kids. One of the young campers, Giulia, asked Leo if he used to go to Mass as a child. The former Robert Prevost, who grew up the youngest of three brothers in the south Chicago suburb of Dolton , said the family always went to Mass on Sundays. 'But starting from when I was around 6 years old, I was also an altar boy in the parish. And so before going to school — it was a parochial school — there was Mass at 6:30 a.m.,' he said, emphasizing how early it was. 'And Mom would wake us up and say 'We're going to Mass!' Because serving Mass was something we liked because starting from when I was young, they taught us that Jesus was always close to us.' Leo, who was born in 1955, recalled that at the time, Mass was celebrated in Latin. He said he had to learn it to serve Mass even before he made his First Communion, one of the key sacraments in the church. 'It wasn't so much the language that it was celebrated in but the experience of getting to know other kids who served the Mass together, the friendship, and this closeness with Jesus in the church,' he said. Leo's brother, John Prevost, has said his little brother knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a priest. Young Robert used to pretend to celebrate Mass using their mother's ironing board as an altar and Necco candies — a once-popular sweet — as Communion wafers. History's first American pope spoke in Italian, but he switched to English to address a group of Ukrainian children, some of whom held up Ukrainian flags and snagged Leo autographs. He spoke about the benefits of meeting people from different backgrounds, languages and lands. It was one of the first times Leo has spoken unscripted at length in public, responding to questions posed to him by the children. He has tended to stick to his prepared texts for his audiences so far in his young pontificate. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Winnipeg Free Press
03-07-2025
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pope speaks about childhood and early mornings as an altar boy in unscripted visit with campers
ROME (AP) — Pope Leo XIV spoke publicly about his childhood in Chicago for the first time as pontiff Thursday, recalling that from the age of six he used to get up early to serve as an altar boy at the 6:30 a.m. Mass before going to school. Leo shared the memories during an unscripted visit with the children of Vatican employees who are attending the Holy See's summer camp. They were joined by other children, including Ukrainian young people, who are attending summer programs run by Italy's Caritas charity. The visit, which was not announced in advance, took place in the Vatican's main audience hall, which was decked out with huge inflatable bouncy castles for the estimated 600 kids. One of the young campers, Giulia, asked Leo if he used to go to Mass as a child. The former Robert Prevost, who grew up the youngest of three brothers in the south Chicago suburb of Dolton, said the family always went to Mass on Sundays. 'But starting from when I was around 6 years old, I was also an altar boy in the parish. And so before going to school — it was a parochial school — there was Mass at 6:30 a.m.,' he said, emphasizing how early it was. 'And Mom would wake us up and say 'We're going to Mass!' Because serving Mass was something we liked because starting from when I was young, they taught us that Jesus was always close to us.' Leo, who was born in 1955, recalled that at the time, Mass was celebrated in Latin. He said he had to learn it to serve Mass even before he made his First Communion, one of the key sacraments in the church. 'It wasn't so much the language that it was celebrated in but the experience of getting to know other kids who served the Mass together, the friendship, and this closeness with Jesus in the church,' he said. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. Leo's brother, John Prevost, has said his little brother knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a priest. Young Robert used to pretend to celebrate Mass using their mother's ironing board as an altar and Necco candies — a once-popular sweet — as Communion wafers. History's first American pope spoke in Italian, but he switched to English to address a group of Ukrainian children, some of whom held up Ukrainian flags and snagged Leo autographs. He spoke about the benefits of meeting people from different backgrounds, languages and lands. It was one of the first times Leo has spoken unscripted at length in public, responding to questions posed to him by the children. He has tended to stick to his prepared texts for his audiences so far in his young pontificate. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
eNCA
10-05-2025
- General
- eNCA
'You're gonna be the Pope,' Leo XIV's brother recalls telling him
PORT CHARLOTTE - Louis Prevost is still reckoning with what just happened in his family. His little brother, Robert Francis Prevost, is now Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in the Catholic Church's history, an incredible fate for a boy from Chicago who dreamt of becoming a priest. "We knew from a very early time, maybe when he was five or six, he was going to be a priest. There was no doubt in my mind," Prevost, 73, told AFP from his home in Port Charlotte, Florida. "When we played games, as kids, he liked to play priest a lot. I thought: 'What the heck? Priest?' "He bought Necco wafers, little candy discs, and he'd pretend those were communion and give them to all our friends in the yard," Prevost recounted with a smile. "We were teasing him when he was six years old: 'you're gonna be the Pope.' And he didn't like that." On Thursday, after white smoke billowed out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, Prevost recalled feeling nervous because he felt the cardinal chosen to be pope would be his brother. AFP | CHANDAN KHANNA He turned on the TV, trying to calm down during the prolonged wait, and got the announcement. When Cardinal Dominique Mamberti said his brother's name at the Vatican, Prevost burst with joy. "I was in bed, sitting down. It's a good thing I was because I probably would have fallen over," Prevost said. "When I thought: 'My brother's the Pope. You're kidding me.' My mind was blown out of this world, it was crazy, ridiculous. So excited." - 'Out of reach' - Now with the initial excitement subsiding, he is left wondering how his youngest brother's new role might affect their personal relationship. "This could be bad for the family. Will we ever see him again? Will we ever get to talk to him like brothers again? Or will it have to be all official? How are you Holy Father, blah, blah, blah. It opens up a lot of questions," Prevost said. "He's still there, but he's out of reach. We can't just pick up the phone and call him. Now it's got to be really special when you get to call the Pope," he added. Prevost hopes his other brother, John, will be able to give him some answers when he visits Rome from their hometown of Chicago. He thinks his brother's papacy will be able to unite the Catholic Church, attract more faithful and make the world a more peaceful place. "Whether he has the ability to settle, like the Gaza thing or the Russia and Ukraine conflict, who knows? But I've seen him take two warring parties and make peace in five minutes between them," Prevost said. "He's got a gift to communicate to people and make them open their eyes." He also hopes that having an American pope will revitalise the Catholic Church in the United States. "When he comes to America, he's going to speak English, not Latin or Spanish or Italian," Prevost said. "People will understand what he's saying. They'll see him, they'll realise he's one of us." by Gerard Martinez
France 24
09-05-2025
- General
- France 24
'You're gonna be the Pope,' Leo XIV's brother recalls telling him
His little brother, Robert Francis Prevost, is now Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in the Catholic Church's history, an incredible fate for a boy from Chicago who dreamt of becoming a priest. "We knew from a very early time, maybe when he was five or six, he was going to be a priest. There was no doubt in my mind," Prevost, 73, told AFP from his home in Port Charlotte, Florida. "When we played games, as kids, he liked to play priest a lot. I thought: 'what the heck? Priest?' "He bought Necco wafers, little candy discs, and he'd pretend those were communion and give it to all our friends the yard," Prevost recounted with a smile. "We were teasing him when he was six years old: 'you're gonna be the Pope.' And he didn't like that." On Thursday, after white smoke billowed out of the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, Prevost recalled feeling nervous because he felt the cardinal chosen to be pope would be his brother. He turned on the TV, trying to calm down during the prolonged wait got the announcement. When Cardinal Dominique Mamberti said his brother's name at the Vatican, Prevost burst with joy. "I was in the bed, sitting down. It's good thing I was because I probably would have fallen over," Prevost said. "When I thought: 'My brother's the Pope. You're kidding me.' My mind was blown out of this world, it was crazy, ridiculous. So excited." 'Out of reach' Now with the initial excitement subsiding, he is left wondering how his youngest brother's new role might affect their personal relationship. "This could be bad for the family. Will we ever see him again? Will we ever get to talk to him like brothers again? Or will it have to be all official? How are you Holy Father, blah, blah, blah. It opens up a lot of questions," Prevost said. "He's still there, but he's out of reach. We can't just pick up the phone and call him. Now it's got to be really special when you get to call the Pope," he added. Prevost hopes his other brother, John, will be able to give him some answers when he visits Rome from their hometown of Chicago. He thinks his brother's papacy will be able to unite the Catholic Church, attract more faithful and make the world a more peaceful place. "Whether he has the ability to settle, like the Gaza thing or the Russia and Ukraine conflict, who knows? But I've seen him take two warring parties and make peace in five minutes between them," Prevost said. "He's got a gift to communicate to people and make them open their eyes." He also hopes having an American pope will revitalize the Catholic Church in the United States. "When he comes to America, he's going to speak English, not Latin or Spanish or Italian," Prevost said.
