seemed like there was nothing about the life of the parish and church that he did not like. He enjoyed reading and memorizing his catechism and preparing for the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. “Robert Prevost never com-
plained,” recalled classmate Marianne Angarola. “We used to pray with our hands, you know, our fi ngers pointing to heaven, and, after a while, you get tired of doing that, and you just want to fold them over. “Robert Prevost never folded
his hands over. He was just godly. Not in an in-your-face way. It was part of his aura, like he was hand- selected, and he embraced it. And he wasn’t weird. He was nice.” “We even called him Holy,”
said classmate John Doughney. “His brothers even referred to him as Holy, and he really was.” And yet, Rob’s classmates
saw no arrogance in him. They saw him as humble and kind, even as he seemed to be not
only the holiest student in the class, but the smartest. They described him as “kind, compas- sionate, and humble.” “He was always kind,” said
Doughney. “Never saw him have [hostile] words with anybody else. And certainly, no kind of physical altercations, which was a common occurrence in the South Side of Chicago.” There was no mistaking the
youngest Prevost boy’s interest in the priesthood. John recalls how his little brother was so se- rious about his call that he was ready to go straight into semi- nary after eighth grade. “The only thing that was in
question until eighth grade was, would it be an order priest, or would it be a diocesan priest?” says brother John. “That was his decision to make.” Rob considered his options.
In those days, when there were far more priests and young men considering the priesthood, boys of Robert Francis Prevost’s se-
riousness would get visited and recruited by seminary vocation directors. The seminary would consider
whether the young man was a good fi t, and vice versa. “I remember sitting around
a table each time someone was coming, and they would come, and then everyone would ask questions,” says John. In the case of Rob, he was
visited and persuaded to join an Augustinian seminary in Hol- land, Michigan. For the next four years,
Robert Prevost was not home much. Likewise for his college years to follow. “The whole high school
years, college years,” recalled his brother John, “we didn’t really know him other than the sum- mer vacation.”
Adapted from American Pontiff : Pope Leo and His Plan to Heal the Church by Paul Kengor. Published by Humanix Books.
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FRANCESCO SFORZA - VATICAN MEDIA VIA VATICAN POOL/GETTY IMAGES
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