One year after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Illinois Catholic leaders say the first American-born pontiff has sparked renewed interest in the church – from rising conversion numbers and packed Masses to pilgrimages, school enthusiasm and growing curiosity about the Augustinian order he once served.

In Ottawa, St. Brigid Parish chartered two buses and sent 110 parishioners to Dolton to see where the former Robert Francis Prevost grew up and worshipped before becoming pope.

“People are very pleased with his leadership,” said Monsignor Mark Merdian, pastor of St. Brigid Parish. “Worldwide, you can see how popular he is.”

Friday marked the first anniversary of Leo’s election. Catholic clergy interviewed for this story said the new pontiff not only is proving popular but also leaving his mark on the faithful of Illinois.

The Rev. Chris Groh, retired pastor from St. Mary Magdeline Church in Joliet, said Pope Leo is bringing a Midwestern approach to the papacy.

“Historically, the Catholic Church in the Midwest has approached things very particularly,” Groh said. “The Midwestern church is never too liberal or too conservative.”

Groh said Pope Leo has stood up for the right to life on abortion questions while following in the footsteps of Pope Francis.

“The Midwest is always in the middle, and that’s where Pope Leo is,” he said.

Groh said Pope Leo has proven “to be a pretty good listener” in accordance with the Order of St. Augustine, in which he served as a priest.

“He realizes being pope is not just being someone with jurisdiction and in charge,” Groh said. “He also is a servant of the people.”

At Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox, students embraced the connection almost immediately after Leo’s election.

The Rev. John “Fr. Merk” Merkelis, the school’s president, said students placed yellow tape and handwritten arrows around Leo’s name on a plaque honoring Augustinians who served at the school, adding the message: “We love our pope.”

Merkelis said interest in the Augustinian order and the Catholic Church generally has climbed over the past year, with more people exploring Order of Christian Initiation of Adults programs and returning to Mass.

“There’s been an uptick in people attending church,” Merkelis said. “We don’t know if it’s just because of Leo, but I think it’s definitely related.”

Merkelis, who attended high school, Villanova University and Catholic Theological Union alongside the future pope, said Leo remains “the same guy today that he was back then.”

Earlier this year, Merkelis visited Leo in Rome.

“I said, ‘I knew how to talk to the pre-pope, I don’t know how to talk to the pope,’” Merkelis recalled. “And he looked at me and just said, ‘It’s me.’”

Leo’s first year has affected Illinois dioceses directly.

The Diocese of Joliet is searching for a new bishop after Leo elevated Ronald Hicks to archbishop of New York City, while the Peoria Diocese is preparing for the Sept. 24 beatification of Fulton Sheen after Leo advanced the long-stalled cause earlier this year. In Springfield, church leaders continue developing a shrine to Augustus Tolton, the first Black priest in America.

“It is certainly exciting to have an Illinois native as pope,” said the Rev. Paul Carlson, pastor of the Catholic churches in Oglesby and Utica. “I never thought we would ever get an American, certainly never expected one from Chicago.”

That was the consensus view after Pope Francis died on Easter Monday 2025. Vatican correspondents compiled a list of papabili, or frontrunners for pope, and Prevost’s name surfaced as a dark horse in the run-up to the conclave.

“Cardinal Prevost wasn’t widely known before his election, I don’t recall ever hearing of him,” Carlson said. “Not that that is a bad thing. I think this is a pope who is going to take his position seriously, but also one that isn’t necessarily looking to make a splash. And that might be exactly what the Church needs.”

Leo also may be driving interest among would-be converts. In La Salle, the Very Rev. Tom Otto had a late night on Holy Saturday because he baptized and/or confirmed two dozen people into the Catholic Church.

Otto emphasized that conversions had been rising in recent years – the pandemic is among the reasons people are seeking stability – but having a U.S.-born pontiff certainly has not impeded the outreach.

“He sort of has had a calming effect, I think, on a lot of people within the church,” Otto said. “He’s just very reassuring, just kind of a steady hand at the helm.

“It’s kind of those kinds of comments that I hear from a lot of people.”

It wasn’t just La Salle. Penny Wiegert, director of communications for the Diocese of Rockford, said the number of new Catholics received into the diocese jumped from 743 last year to 996 this year.

“We’ve had a focus on getting people back to church since COVID, when the churches were closed, and Mass attendance has been steadily growing,” she said. “But this was an indicator, this was some kind of movement going on, not just in our diocese but around the world.”

Wiegert emphasized that the increase is because of several initiatives and societal trends, but an American-born pope certainly has bolstered the outreach.

Peoria’s bishop said the number of people received into diocesan churches “pretty much doubled” since Leo became pope. The Most Rev. Louis Tylka said his churches welcomed 750 catechumens or candidates completing their sacraments at the Easter Vigil.

“To make a direct correlation saying that all the increased numbers are because Pope Leo is now the pope? I think that’s a falsehood,” Tylka said. “I think it’s certainly a launching point for many as they are exploring and asking these more significant questions. The response to the Holy Spirit moving in their lives is what’s drawing them deeper into the church.”

Nevertheless, Leo’s election “has created some interest and excitement,” not least because he green-lighted the Sheen beatification, which had been on hold for more than six years.

Leo’s pontificate hasn’t been conflict-free. Although both the White House and Vatican disputed the characterization of a “feud” between Washington and Rome, Leo’s stances on war and immigration have been at odds with current U.S. policy.

Closer to home, there is a minor conflict over baseball. Otto said he wishes Leo, a lifelong fan of the White Sox, cheered for his beloved Cubs.

“No one’s perfect,” Otto smiled, “not even the pope.”

• Shaw Local reporter Jessie Molloy contributed to this story.