"He’s one of us": New Short Film Chronicles Pope Leo XIV’s Chicago Life Before Papacy

Kaczmark not only shares local historical details about the sites but also personal stories about how these same places played a role in the pope’s younger years. At Aurelio’s, the pope’s favorite local pizzeria, which also recently unveiled its “pope-a-roni” pizza, Kaczmark tells viewers that it was in this pizzeria that he told his parents that he and his wife were expecting their first child.

Another stop on the tour was St. Rita of Cascia High School, where Pope Leo taught math and physics. Kaczmark told CNA in an interview that he had several friends who went there and he himself spent a lot of time at this high school in the 1990s as a DJ at school dances. 

When Kaczmark first heard the news that the new pope was from Chicago, he said “it didn’t fully register.”

“It’s just like a really weird feeling when you see this person come out that you know is going to be such an important figure in your life, but you have no idea who they are,” he said. 

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It wasn’t until a couple days later, after leaving Mass, that Kaczmark fully processed that the pope was from his hometown, and after that realization he knew he needed to do something to honor this other “South Sider.”

He shared that now walking around the streets of Chicago “there’s definitely a buzz, I think, around the city for Pope Leo.”

Kaczmark also recently attended the “Chicago Celebrates Pope Leo XIV” event held on June 14 at Rate Field, where the pope addressed those in attendance via a video message. 

He and his team arrived early to get video footage of the atmosphere outside the park before the event started and recalled those gathered being “so jazzed to be there … people were singing and dancing.”

Seeing the buzz that the newly elected pope has caused in his hometown, Kaczmark said he believes that “Chicago has the opportunity to be transformed because Pope Leo is from here” as well as “an opportunity for the United States.”

Kaczmark said he hopes this papacy will help the Church “lead in a way that doesn’t feel like there’s a political agenda attached to it but is leading people towards Christ in a very authentic way.”

Watch the South Side Chicago tour of Pope Leo’s childhood spots below.

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Francesca is a staff reporter for Catholic News Agency. She received her degree in Communications with an emphasis in Digital Media from the University of Colorado - Denver. She is also in charge of the social media for Catholic News Agency.