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Wednesday • May 14, 2025
Commemorating
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POPE
Pope Leo XIV: Former Dolton resident reflects on ‘kind and humble’ classmate By Carole Sharwarko - The Lansing Journal everyone thought it would be an Italian,” she said. DOLTON, Ill. (May 8, 2025) – Sherry Stone said she Lepczynski said she thought it was funny that one of remembers Robert Prevost saying he wanted to be pope the first things she heard about the new pope on social someday. Prevost, who on May 8 was announced as the media was that he is a Chicago Cubs fan. However, the new Catholic Pope Leo XIV, was a classmate of Stone pope’s brother put this rumor to rest in an interview, at St. Mary of the Assumption School in Chicago at the clarifying that he is definitely a fan of the Chicago Dolton border. Their small class graduated eighth grade White Sox. in 1969. She said she hopes Pope Leo XIV will keep the church “I remember back then he made a comment that he moving forward in the vein of Pope Francis. wanted to grow up to be pope. When he was in the conclave, “Sometimes I feel like we need to progress,” she said. I thought, ‘Could it be him? Could Bob be the new pope? No, “It’s a different world, and I think we need to get with probably not,’” Stone said. “When I saw that it was him, I the times.” was just amazed. I was crying tears of joy.” Stone said she read the new pope is a centrist who will Prevost grew up in Dolton, living in a house with his bring the Church back to the Gospel, which she favors. family on East 141st Place, according to reporting from “I think he’ll be a good thing for this country. I believe the Chicago Sun-Times. Stone, who was then Sherry Blue, in my heart that he will,” she said. lived about a mile and a half away on Shepard Drive. In the meantime, there will be plenty to celebrate at the St. Stone met Prevost and the rest of her new classmates Mary’s annual reunion, and Stone said she is glad for that. when she started school at St. Mary in fourth grade. She “Dolton was very famous for having the worst mayor said he was an altar server, kind, humble, and well liked in America, so it’s good that it will be known for by his classmates. something good now,” she said. “He was a super nice guy, but not nerdy,” said Stone, who now lives in northern Nevada. “He had a big Catholic family. I remember two of his aunts were nuns.” With his election, Prevost becomes the first pope from the United States. The Rev. Mark Kalema, pastor of All Souls Catholic Parish in Lansing said he didn’t expect the new pope would be from the United States. “I was so, so surprised,” Kalema said. Kalema said he hopes Leo will have a spirit of humility similar to his predecessor, the late Pope Francis. Kalema also said it is important for the Catholic Church to have a leader. “When you don’t have a leader, it’s like sheep without a shepherd,” Kalema said. Pam Lepczynski, church secretary at All Souls, said she thinks it’s exciting to have an Before he was Pope Leo XIV, Robert Prevost graduated eighth grade from St. Mary School on the American as pope. “It was Chicago-Dolton border in 1969. (Photo: Provided by Scott Kuzminski) totally unexpected because –––––––––––––––––––––––
Photo Courtesy of Edgar Beltrán / The Pillar
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