The Heart of Leone: The Augustinian Roots of Pope Leo XIV
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by Shiela Mae Gumapon
Annuntio vobis gaudium: HABEMUS PAPAM!
The ancient words echoed once more from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 8,
2025, sending waves of joy through the heart of the universal Church.
We have a Pope! His name: Pope Leo XIV.
A missionary.
A man of humility.
A brother of the Augustinian community.
For the first time in history, an Augustinian has ascended to the Chair of Peter.
The Heart Before the Calling
Robert Francis Prevost was born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, a city rich in Catholic tradition and cultural diversity. Raised in a devout and ethnically mixed family, his father of French and Italian descent and his mother of Spanish and French heritage from New Orleans, Prevost grew up in an environment that emphasized faith,
family, and hard work.
His early formation took place within Chicago’s strong Catholic community, particularly through Catholic schools and parish life, where faith was a natural part of daily living. It was in this setting that his vocation to serve the Church began to take root, ultimately guiding his path toward religious life and ministry.
A Heart Shaped by Faith and Formation
As his call to religious life grew deeper during his youth, Prevost entered the Augustinian Minor Seminary, where he received both a strong academic and spiritual foundation centered on prayer, community, and the teachings of St. Augustine. His vocation matured during these formative years, and after a brief period teaching in Augustinian
schools, he confirmed his desire to fully commit to the Augustinian way of life.
On September 1, 1977, he entered the novitiate in St. Louis, Missouri, beginning an
intense year of spiritual formation. A year later, on September 2, 1978, he made his First
Profession of Vows, publicly committing to the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity,
and obedience.
He pursued higher education at Villanova University, earning a degree in Mathematics
and Philosophy in 1977. He then studied theology at Catholic Theological Union in
Chicago, receiving a Master of Divinity in 1978. On August 29, 1981, he made his Solemn
Vows, making a lifelong commitment to the Augustinian Order.
Sent to Rome for further studies, Prevost was ordained a priest on June 19, 1982. During
this time, he also developed fluency in multiple languages—English, Spanish, Italian,
French, and Portuguese—a skill that would later prove vital in his global ministry.
He specialized in Canon Law at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas
(Angelicum), earning a Licentiate in 1984 and later a Doctorate in 1987. His dissertation,
focused on the role of the local Augustinian prior, demonstrated both academic
excellence and a profound understanding of leadership within religious life, insights that
would shape his future roles as Prior Provincial, Prior General, Cardinal-bishop, and
eventually Pope Leo XIV.
The Heart of a Missionary
After completing his theological and canonical studies in Rome, Father Robert Francis
Prevost, OSA was sent as an Augustinian missionary to Peru in 1985, just three years after his ordination. Assigned to the Chulucanas mission in northern Peru, he quickly
immersed himself in the pastoral and administrative life of the local Church, serving as
parochial vicar and chancellor of the prelature. There, he encountered both the deep
faith and pressing material needs of the people, a stark contrast to his academic
background and a defining moment in his vocation.
Though his initial time in Chulucanas was brief, it left a lasting impact on him and sparked a deep affection for Peru. That bond would lead him back in 1988, when he returned to Peru for a far greater mission: to lead the formation of young Augustinians from across the country. Based in Trujillo, he directed a unified formation program for aspirants from diverse regions, helping cultivate local vocations for the Order.
Over the next ten years, Prevost held key leadership roles: Prior of the community,
Formation Director, and teacher of professed friars. His work extended beyond the
Augustinian community into the wider Church, as he also taught Canon Law, Patristics,
and Moral Theology at the Major Seminary of Trujillo, shaping diocesan clergy across the
region.
This decade was formative not only for the many he served but for he himself. His
missionary experience in Peru profoundly shaped his pastoral identity, grounding him in
Latin American culture and solidifying his reputation as a leader, teacher, and shepherd
with a deep heart for service. It was in Peru that he became not just a missionary in
action, but a missionary in spirit, fully immersed in the life of the people and the Church
he had come to love.
Leading with a Missionary Heart
From missionary service in Peru to leadership at the Vatican, Fray Prevost has embodied
a life of faith, formation, and global responsibility. A Chicago-born Augustinian, he began his ministry in northern Peru, where he nurtured local vocations and developed a deep
bond with the people. He later served for twelve years as Prior General of the Augustinian Order, guiding the Order through complex cultural contexts, traveled
extensively to visit local communities, and maintained strong ties with the Vatican.
Returning to Peru in 2014, he became Bishop of Chiclayo, where he served with
compassion and leadership, eventually playing a key role in the Peruvian Episcopal
Conference. In 2023, Pope Francis appointed him Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops
and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, entrusting him with the
selection of bishops worldwide and the oversight of ecclesial life across Latin America.
That same year, he was created Cardinal, and in 2025, he was elevated to the rank of
Cardinal Bishop.
Heartfelt Encounters in the Philippines
During his 12-year tenure as Prior General of the Order of Saint Augustine (2001–2013),
he made nine pastoral visits to the Philippines, reflecting his deep commitment to
missionary presence and fraternal leadership.
(1) Feb 4–8 2002.
Attended the 5th Intermediate Provincial Chapter at the University of San Agustin, Iloilo.
(2) February 2004
Participated in the 6th Ordinary Provincial Chapter in Cebu and joined the blessing of the newly renovated Novitiate House and Mohon Friary in Talisay City, Cebu.
(3) February 2006
Attended the 6th Intermediate Provincial Chapter in Iloilo and the Augustinian Jubilee Year marking 750 years since the Grand Union.
(4) February 2008
Presided over the 7th Ordinary Provincial Chapter and the blessing of the Santo Niño Spirituality Center in Consolacion, Cebu.
(5) November 2008
Visited Intramuros, Manila, for the blessing of the Professorium at Seminario San Agustin (Vicariate of the Orient, now Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the
Philippines).
(6) January 15, 2009
Celebrated the 25th Anniversary Mass of the Province of Santo Niño de Cebu, coinciding with the 8th day novena Mass in celebration of the Feast of Santo Niño at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu.
(7) September 2010
Attended the Intermediate General Chapter at the University of Regina Carmeli (now La Consolacion University), Malolos, Bulacan; opening and closing Masses held in San Agustin Church, Intramuros, and in Biñan, Laguna.
(8) April 2012
Presided over the 8th Ordinary Provincial Chapter at the Santo Niño Spirituality Center in Consolacion, Cebu.
(9) April 2013
Blessed the pre-novitiate building of the Vicariate of the Orient (now Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus of the Philippines) at San Agustin Church, Intramuros—his final visit before becoming a bishop.
Through these visits, he formed lasting bonds with the Filipino Augustinians. He
supported vocations, celebrated foundational events, and offered encouragement
through his calm, listening presence. His repeated journeys to the Philippines
underscore not just administrative duty, but a true pastoral heart for mission and
communion.
A Humble Heart for the Universal Church
In a moment of quiet grace and historic resonance, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was
elected Pope Leo XIV during the May 2025 conclave.
A friar who once walked the dusty roads of northern Peru, who sat in formation houses
listening more than speaking, who led his Order not from above but from beside; he had long embodied the spirit of unitas, veritas, caritas (unity, truth, love). These values, at the core of Augustinian life, have guided his path from missionary to Prior Provincial, to Prior General, to Bishop, Cardinal, and now, the first Augustinian Pope in the Church’s
history.
And so, the Church turns a new page, a new chapter.
From missionary roots, Fray Robert Francis Prevost, OSA, now Pope Leo XIV, steps into
the papacy not as a distant figure but as a brother in faith.
His Augustinian heart is one that seeks unity through love.
With humble steps, he takes his part.
He leads and will continue to lead with grace, from heart to heart.
*This article was first published in Cor Inquietum, the official newsletter of the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines
Shiela Mae Gumapon was a resident Media Officer of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Media Centre.
Fr. Genesis P. Labana, OSA, an Augustinian friar currently studying in Rome for his Licentiate in Church Communications, was the Media Director of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu Media Centre.
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