The tolling of the bell at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Beatrice for the election of a new pope had to wait on Wednesday.
The Rev. Leo Kosch, pastor of the church, said he wanted the roofers working at the church to come down for their lunch break before ringing the bell a few minutes before Pope Leo XIV was introduced to the world in Rome.
"Basically not to scare or jar them while they're putting clay tiles on," he said.Â
"What was cool, too, is then we (were) … streaming a website … in our lunch room, and the timing was perfect," he added. "The kids were watching this announcement while they were finishing lunch, and when he was announced, they all cheered. … It was really, it was really beautiful."
Kosch said most priests didn't think there would be an American pope in their lifetimes due to the nation's superpower status.
Before his election, the new pope was Cardinal Robert Prevost, a missionary born in Chicago who spent his career in Peru before moving to the Vatican to lead the office that vetted bishop nominations. Kosch said that role put him in a position to be known by more of the cardinals.
"I think for us today, the main thing is we're just very joyful to have a new pope," Kosch said. "Everything I've seen, you know, just a little impression I've gotten watching him on television, is a peaceful man. … It's just good to have our leadership clear going forward."
Kosch said it's hard to tell this early what an American pope might mean for the church, and that you find out more as a papacy begins from the new leader's statements and appointments.
He also said the choice of Leo for his name could be significant.
"(Leo XIII) was a pioneer in Catholic social teaching," Kosch said. "… To me, that signals that he wants to … keep applying the church's teachings to help the world, and all the people of the world in … having justice in their lives."
The name also had a special meaning for Kosch.
"My first name is Leo, so, hey, Leo XIV, that's fun," he said, laughing.
