WILMINGTON — The joint was jumping in the dismissal zone outside St. Ann School on the afternoon of May 8.
Students, staff and families had been following the papal conclave. They were expecting a new pope, but they had no idea – same as everyone else – that he would be an American who attended college 30 miles from their parish school.
“It was so exciting,” said Theresa Moore, eighth grade homeroom teacher who teaches religion and social studies.
Moore and the eighth graders went to adoration that day because the eighth graders were to be confirmed that same night.
“We wanted to spend some time in prayer, and while we were there, we heard that there was white smoke,” she said. “We went outside. I told everybody. We all cheered. When we were done praying, we went in and watched the livestream, I think about two class periods, until the pope came out.”
Moore said the kids knew a lot about the conclave process since they had done a lesson on it earlier in the year.
“I had never seen so much excitement,” she said.
Another teacher, Marilyn Dickinson, joined in with the emotional outpouring.
“I was really surprised that it was an American, pleasantly surprised,” Dickinson said.
“I was incredibly touched. As he looked out over the sea of people, he had a tear in his eye. I really like the fact that he’s the bishop of Rome and spoke Italian. We are sure praying for him.”
Molly Klous, eighth grader, understands the significance of the first American pope.
“He’s the first pope to represent our country and I think it’s really cool to have something like that.”
She was part of the thrilled group of kids at the adoration chapel.
Vinnie DeDonato, a seventh grader, said he found something in common with the new pope.
“It makes us feel very proud to be an American, but it makes us also proud to be Catholic as well,” he said.
People across the diocese were celebrating the new leader of the Catholic church.
“It’s hard to believe,” said Father James Nash, pastor of Saints Peter and Paul parish in Easton, Md.
“I do believe he’s in line with Pope Francis, which I’m very happy about.”
Nash said administrators canceled classes when they heard about the white smoke from the Sistine Chapel, indicating a new pope had been selected, and they took everybody into the auditorium.
“The kids were so excited when they announced who the pope was — and it was an American — and they were waving the flag,” said Father Nash. “They were so excited. I mean, young people really excited about all this.
“I don’t get emotional about this stuff, but I got really emotional. I was in the middle of a Zoom meeting, heard white smoke. It’s probably going to be the Italian blah, blah, blah. And then my phone is blowing up with text messages.
“I said ‘You’re kidding!’ And no, no, you guys have got to be wrong. And I thought it was (Cardinal) Tobin because his name was being circulated. But then they told me, No, no, it’s Prevost, and I went, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s Pope’s right-hand man.’
Father Nash said Pope Leo XIV’s name is significant because an encyclical by Pope Leo XIII had a lot to do with the immigrants in different countries and the way they were treated and treated very poorly, “which is perfect for the world in which we live.”
(Correspondent Connie Connolly contributed to this report).
