CORONA — On May 8, students of St. Leo the Great Catholic Academy joined the rest of the world in waiting to see white puffs of smoke billowing from a chimney mounted atop the Sistine Chapel, signaling the election of a new pope.
The students assembled in the gymnasium at the school that, for 100 years, has provided a Catholic education for children in Corona, Queens.
Excitement grew as the television set up in the gym shared images of long-awaited white smoke. Then came news that the papal conclave elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the successor of Pope Francis, who died April 21.
Layla Vera, a seventh grader, said it was “cool” and exciting to witness the historical event. But this event was taken personally by many of the students when they learned his new name would be Pope Leo XIV, she said.
“It actually shocked most of us that the pope chose Leo, which is the name of our school — literally,” Layla said.
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Pandemonium erupted in the gym when students heard Cardinal Prevost’s chosen papal name.
“It was so loud,” Layla recalled, “just screaming.”
On May 14, all of the students at the academy, K-8, took time from regular classwork for activities to broaden their knowledge of the new pope and engage with him. Grades 4-8 prayed an intercession for Pope Leo XIV at the statue of Mary. They also wrote letters to him, while kids in the lower grades colored-in images of the pope’s coat of arms.
The students returned at 6:30 p.m. to fill half of The Church of St. Leo for a special Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Octavio Cisneros. Father Carlos Agudelo, the pastor, concelebrated, and Deacon Kevin McCormack, the superintendent of schools for the diocese, assisted.
Principal Theresa Picciano explained that the students traditionally do these activities to honor the school’s actual namesake, St. Leo the Great, also known as Pope Leo I. However, with so much excitement since the papal election, she decided to hold similar activities for the new Pope Leo.
One week later, the students were still beside themselves, knowing that the new Holy Father had chosen a papal moniker similar to the name of their school.
“I like him because he called his name Leo,” said Antonella Marte, a first grader. “I got super surprised when he came out of the curtains.”
“It’s like a dream,” exclaimed Samantha Montana, a second grader. “I wanted to see my school be famous, for my friends, and also my teachers, and just my people. And that happened.
“I don’t know why, I don’t know how, but that happened. I am excited.”
The “why” and the “how” were provided by Bishop Cisneros, who explained during his homily that the Holy Spirit inspired the cardinals to elect who they thought should be the pope, “and 2,000 years later, we’re still doing the same thing.”
“And here we see something really important that we must understand,” Bishop Cisneros added. “God does not choose the people who seem most likely.”
He reminded the congregation that the first disciples selected by Jesus included fishermen and a tax collector.
“He could have chosen people who knew the Bible,” Bishop Cisneros said. “He could have chosen people who knew about philosophy. But he chose people who nobody was expecting.”
Such was the case with Pope Leo XIV, who, although a cardinal, was not widely known. Still, the Chicago native built a reputation as a faithful servant as a missionary in Peru and the humble administrator of key Vatican offices.
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Also, over the past week, students learned that their school is the only one in New York City named for a Pope Leo.
While the news brought excitement to the school, it capped a solemn period for some.
“I was happy because he chose the same name as our school,” said another seventh grader, Austin Calle. “But I was sad because we lost Pope Francis.”