Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the first Pope born in the United States on May 8 and will be known as Pope Leo XIV.
Orange native Father Jim Sichko, who is a Papal Missionary out of Lexington, Ky, told KOGT, “Though we’ve just witnessed history with the election of the first American-born Pope, what moves me even more is that he’s spent two-thirds of his life in the missions—especially among the people of Peru.”
We asked Father Jim if he knew Cardinal Prevost before he became Pope. “I haven’t met him… yet! But everything I’ve seen and heard tells me we now have a Pope who is deeply intelligent, quietly humble, and pastorally grounded. A man who understands, with both head and heart, that the Church must love all people—and that the Gospel must reach not just the center, but the very edges of the world. In other words he’s going to build upon everything Pope Francis has said.”
Father Jim also released a formal statement. It is posted below.
“With a heart full of gratitude and wonder, I join the faithful around the world in giving thanks to God for the election of Pope Leo XIV and, in a most unexpected and humbling turn, for his designation as a Missionary of Mercy.
Yes, you read that right—the very one who now shepherds the Universal Church has chosen to place himself among those of us commissioned to extend the tender mercy of Christ to a broken and beautiful world.
It is a bold and powerful witness.
By embracing the identity of a Missionary of Mercy, Pope Leo XIV is not simply asking us to follow him—he is walking with us. He is reminding every priest, every layperson, every person on the margins, that mercy is not just a program or policy—it is the very face of Jesus.
In his first words and gestures, Pope Leo XIV has already shown the world that he will lead not from a throne, but from the foot of the cross—where mercy meets suffering, and love conquers shame.
As someone who has tried—imperfectly but passionately—to live out this mission for nearly a decade, I am encouraged, challenged, and renewed by our Holy Father’s example.
May we all be inspired to throw open the doors of our hearts, walk with the wounded, forgive freely, and proclaim with our lives: Mercy is alive. Mercy has a name. Mercy is Jesus.
Let us pray for Pope Leo XIV as he begins this sacred journey—not only as Successor to Peter, but now, beautifully, as a fellow Missionary of Mercy.
And let us not grow weary in mercy. The world is starving for it.”
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