HELENA — The introduction of a new pope Thursday morning – particularly one born in the United States – was a big moment for Catholics in the Helena area, including students at St. Andrew Catholic School.
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TVs were on all around the school’s Warren Street campus, showing the historic scenes from the Vatican. Students were wrapping up their final exams, but many were closely watching the introduction of Pope Leo XIV when they could.
It’s been 12 years since the last papal election, and St. Andrew students were mostly too young to remember. That means this experience stands out.
“I got up at 2:30 this morning to watch the earlier vote, and that was pretty fun,” said senior Layna Newhouse. “My mom and I sat in my bed and watched the black smoke come out.”
“It was really cool to see the Swiss Guard and the band come out,” said Emmett Lucibello, also a senior. “The whole ceremony of it was really interesting.”
Mary O’Donnell’s seventh-grade theology class began just in time to watch the announcement of the new pope. Students clapped and cheered when he made his first appearance on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
O’Donnell gave them a basic explanation of some of the Latin and Italian phrases being used during the ceremony – like the famous statement “Habemus papam,” meaning “We have a pope.”
Of course, the fact that the new pope is American also got the students’ attention.
“I was very surprised,” said Doug Tooke, the head of St. Andrew School.
Tooke noted that, over the past few months, students have prayed for Pope Francis through his illness, mourned his passing Easter Monday, and now celebrated a new leader for the Catholic Church.
“We trust in the Holy Spirit to help the cardinals make a decision,” he said. “Certainly we know the church longs for the hearts of the young, and I believe that we're going to have a beautiful, welcoming church for young hearts to come back to the altar of the Lord.”
Lucibello and Newhouse say they’re excited to see what Pope Leo brings to the church.
“The Catholic Church is universal, so it doesn't matter who the pope is – we can connect to him regardless,” said Newhouse. “But it's cool to have someone who is closer to who we are.”
“I'd like to see him definitely have the whole world in mind, but I'd like to see a lot of emphasis on unity in the church,” said Lucibello.
St. Andrew has a wall display, featuring quotes from the last six popes – dating back to John XXIII, who served in the 1950s. Tooke said he realized they’ll need to update that display with some words from Leo XIV.
On Thursday afternoon, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena and Bishop Austin Vetter released a statement, congratulating the new pope.
“Called forth by the Lord as the Universal Shepherd to the whole People of God, we support him with our prayers and fidelity, entrusting ourselves to his leadership and guidance,” the statement said. “This is also a historic day for U.S. Catholics, who celebrate the first American Pope in the Church’s history, giving the faithful of the United States a deeper connection to the heart of the global Church in a new and profound way.”
Vetter met with the pope, then known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, several years ago. The cardinal was the head of a Vatican office that oversees the selection of bishops, and Vetter was attending a course for new bishops.
Vetter will hold a mass at the Cathedral of St. Helena, Friday at 7 a.m., to pray for the pope.
