水果派AV

One of his childhood neighbors, Holly Boblink, was pulling weeds in her South Side garden when white smoke poured out of the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel on Thursday. When she got a text saying Prevost had been elected pope, she couldn't believe it.

Prevost, 69, was elected Thursday to be the pontiff to succeed Pope Francis, choosing the name Pope Leo XIV and becoming the first American pope in the Catholic Church's 2,000-year history.

The bells of the cathedral in Peru鈥檚 capital of Lima, at Holy Name Cathedral in downtown Chicago and of the University of Notre Dame's Basilica of the Sacred Heart tolled after Prevost鈥檚 election was announced.

Boblink, 71, said she's known Prevost since second grade. She grew up just a few houses down from him on E. 141st Place in Dolton, a south suburban Chicago town near Northwest Indiana.

Prevost and Boblink attended the St. Mary of the Assumption Church in Dolton, where Prevost first served in a church and began his religious journey.

Prevost's former home, located at 212 E. 141st Place, is a quaint property with a bright red front door, newly poured concrete steps with an unfinished wood stair handrail. It has fewer trees outside than it used to, Boblink said, looking at the house in awe and seemingly unable to comprehend the moment.

Prevost is the youngest of three children 鈥� brothers Louis Martin and John Joseph grew up in the house too, all raised by their father, Louis Marius Prevost, and mother, Mildred Martinez.

"He was nice, and the whole family was nice," Boblink said, recalling that their mother used to play the organ at church. "The family was honest. Just a lot of integrity."

Though Catholics around the world are largely shocked at the election of an American pontiff, there were early signs of what was to come. The kids on the street "played Mass," Boblink said, using props to represent the hosts.

"I'm not surprised," she said of Prevost's papal election. "I knew he was a candidate already... his integrity was just good."

Boblink said she's unsure if Prevost will follow on the same path as Pope Francis but said every pope has a different style they bring to their papacy.

"I think he's going to be great. That's my gut feeling," she said. "What's nice about Robbie, he's Augustinian, and so that community is international. They're all over the world. And so that brings a special, I want to say, international flavor to the church, which it should be."

Prior to Thursday, Prevost was the leader of the Order of St. Augustine, a community of "mendicant" friars dedicated to poverty, service and evangelization.

Jakub Jasnak, 56, of Burr Ridge, owns businesses in Dolton and stopped by Prevost's old home when he found out the new pope had local connections. A Catholic from Czechoslovakia who has lived in the U.S. for decades, he said he had to make the visit to the house to "see something amazing."

"I am really, really impressed with what's happened," Jasnak said. "Beautiful, beautiful time for us (Catholics)."

Dawn Ribnek, 51, is a lifelong Chicago Catholic who now lives in the West Loop in downtown Chicago. She made the trek to the southern suburbs to get a glimpse of what life was like for her faith's new leader. She's a nurse practitioner, and Thursday just so happened to be her day off.

"I felt this strong responsibility to pray for the pope because he's from here," Ribnek said. "That's why I got in the car and drove here. That's pretty cool to be able to pray for him at his (childhood home) on the day he was elected."

Chicago itself personifies what Ribnek hopes Prevost will bring to the Catholic Church as pope.

"Chicago, I see as a melting pot within the U.S.," she said. "We have many cultures here. The South Side, where he's from, is just known for people who are extremely hard working of simpler circumstances... These are folks who have lived very simply and worked hard."

Local Catholics react

The Diocese of Gary on Thursday celebrated the election of their new pope and called special attention to his unique local roots.

鈥淲e have a new Holy Father, and praise the Lord, one who鈥檚 from Chicagoland, who grew up right where we are,鈥� Bishop Robert McClory said in a video posted on the Diocese of Gary website.

McClory asked Catholics in the diocese to pray for Pope Leo聽鈥� and to celebrate his selection.

鈥淲hat a great joy to all the church, particularly us here,鈥� he said.

Jodi McLawhorn, assistant superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Gary, worked at St. Rita High School on Chicago's Southwest Side, where she got to know Prevost, the diocese said.

Father Mark Kalema, pastor at All Souls Catholic Parish at St. Ann Church in south suburban Lansing, said the selection of a south suburban native is inspirational, especially to young people.

"That he comes from this area is something we want to accentuate," Kalema said. "That a pope can come from this area boosts the morale of young people who might feel left out. It shows what you can do as a product of this area.鈥�

The congregation will pray for the new pope at masses this Sunday.

鈥淗e will be in the same footsteps as Pope Francis, who chose him from Peru to go to Rome because he saw something in him,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e brought him over to Rome so hopefully he is going to be in his footsteps and emulate Pope Francis. Hopefully, he is going to be a voice for the voiceless.鈥�

Robert Dowd, president of the University of Notre Dame, offered prayers for the new pontiff to "always be blessed with the wisdom, courage and fortitude he will need."

"We celebrate his work as a tireless missionary who has never hesitated to cross borders to announce the Gospel," Dowd said. "A leader of vision, humility and energy, he has inspired us with his compassion, generosity and love for the people of God."

Parishioners at Jesus Shepherd of Souls Parish in Calumet City, which borders Dolton, are thrilled, operations director Rosario Orozco said.

鈥淧arishioners are ecstatic that he鈥檚 so close,鈥� Orozco said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten calls from all over, from Texas and California. Everyone is so happy that he鈥檚 from Chicago and the south suburbs. Parishioners are really excited about the closeness. Everyone is super excited.鈥�