Chicagoans swarm White Sox stadium to celebrate South Side pope
Pope Leo XIV draws an elated and eclectic crowd to Rate Field.
Attendees adorned in White Sox gear walked through the Rate Field concourse delicately balancing their Chicago dogs and soda.
Some slowed to look at the guy wearing full bishop’s regalia; others stopped at Section 140, where a line had formed.
These fans were not here to watch the Sox lose yet another game, but to celebrate their city’s new hometown hero: Leo XIV, the pope from the South Side.
After the May 8 election of Pope Leo, reports quickly emerged of the first U.S.-born pope’s South Side roots.
The Windy City’s residents erupted in celebration, elated they could claim the Holy Father as one of their own.
Controversy ensued, however, as baseball fans and locals debated whether the pope rooted for the Cubs or the White Sox.
The Cubs were swift to embrace the pope, posting a message on an electronic billboard outside of Wrigley Field proclaiming, “Hey Chicago, he’s a Cubs fan!”
That claim was later corrected by Pope Leo’s brother, John Prevost, who told ABC News the new pope is a Sox fan.
A video emerged of a camera panning over Fr. Robert Prevost, then head of the Augustinian order, as he sat in Section 140 during the 2005 World Series pitting the White Sox against the Astros. And a few days ago, a photo circulated on the internet showing Pope Leo wearing a Sox hat during a general audience in Rome, further confirming his alliance.
Thus, the White Sox and the Archdiocese of Chicago wanted to celebrate their fan’s new promotion with a special celebration and Mass at the White Sox stadium on Saturday, June 14.
The afternoon at Rate Field included a full lineup, with an address from Cardinal Blase Cupich, a panel interview with two people who knew Pope Leo XIV, a pre-recorded video address from the pope, and Mass.
But the party started well before Cardinal Cupich stepped up to the mic.
Party antics
Outside the stadium, a small but growing party emerged around 11 a.m., when a few families parked their cars, popped the folding chairs open, and poured ice into the coolers for a good ol’ Midwest tailgate.
Alexis Moreno joined her family for their tailgate as a way to gather together and celebrate before the Mass — and maybe have a few drinks.
“We need to make sure that we break our own bread before we go inside for the celebration. This is a way to gather and celebrate as a community, as a family,” Moreno told The Pillar.
“My family came early to break bread and we do not have wine, but we have rum. We just wanted to celebrate together.”
After Leo XIV’s election, a buzz enveloped the city as people talked about the pope’s South Side roots.
“It gave us something to talk about that was in good humor and lighthearted in Chicago,” Moreno said. “It gave us a break from talking about the craziness of what's happening in the world. It has been a light subject we could talk about and banter about without getting into fights.”
Across the parking lot, Paul “Santa” Margeolas was trying to sell AI-generated papal portraits of Pope Leo XIV wearing White Sox-themed papal regalia.
He also had some extra tickets that he was willing to sell to unfortunate souls unable to purchase tickets online.
Ticketmaster listed tickets for $5; “Santa” was charging $10. Despite a sold-out crowd, he had little luck finding buyers.
“You cannot go on any of the ticket resell sites. None of them are reselling these tickets,” Margeolas said. “It is interesting, because Ticketmaster did not take a fee from the tickets. They charged $5 flat, and that's different from the White Sox game and every game because Ticketmaster takes a fee.”
Santa is usually out and about at White Sox games and has become a staple in the pregame antics. That day’s atmosphere, though, felt very different.
“It is nice. Everyone’s very mellow. It’s kind of cool to see,” Margeolas said. “There is no drinking. There is no eating. It is very calm, which is nice.”
On the other side of the stadium, another gentleman was selling tickets to the Mass for $5, the original price. One couple was giving tickets out for free, sharing with The Pillar that many local parishes bought large numbers of tickets when they first went on sale and now had extras to give out.
Around the stadium, vendors were selling both Sox memorabilia and papal souvenirs — everything from a Pope Leo XIV Topps card, for $20, to Pope Leo Sox shirts, ranging from $25 to $35, depending on who you asked.
Sox fans and Catholics mingled about, talking and waiting for the gates to open at 12:30 p.m.
Thirty minutes before the gates were due to open, crowds began to congregate around the entrances.
One of those hoping to be among the first to enter was Alfredo Chumpitaz, a Chicago resident from Peru. He came excited to hear from a pope with whom he shares similar roots.
“Pope Leo shows you the commitment of a priest who was born in a First World country and then decided to go serve in a Third World country and in one of the poorest places,” Chumpitaz said. “That is inspiring.”
There is a small Peruvian population in Chicago, so Chumpitaz wanted to show his support for the new pope and to be with other members of his community.
“I want to be in the crowd. There are so few Peruvians in Chicago. We are not many and we are trying to organize, trying to help each other, and trying to be here to show our support for the pope,” Chumpitaz said.
Other Peruvian-Americans joined Chumpitaz in line, including Maria Mentoza from the Legion of Mary, a Catholic association active in Chiclayo, Peru, who knew Pope Leo XIV as Bishop Robert Prevost, after he was appointed to lead the local diocese in 2015.
“He cared a lot about people as he used to do a lot of charitable works in the towns and villages,” Mentoza said. “Every time there was a disaster or anything, there he was helping others.”
When Mentoza saw Prevost, her former bishop, introduced to the world as Leo XIV, she could not contain her joy.
“When I saw him, I was so joyful,” Mentoza said. “The first time I saw him on the window in the room, when he was preaching and he said ‘Peru,’ I was jumping in joy. I could not contain my excitement.”
The religious
Outside of the stadium, groups of religious sisters and priests ambled about, talking to one another and speaking with their parishioners.
One sister — Sr. Mary Jo Sobieck, a Dominican Sister of Springfield, Illinois — found particular fame outside of Rate Field.
Six years ago, she went viral after she threw out the first pitch — a perfect strike — before a White Sox game. She still maintains her celebrity status among Sox fans and Catholics alike.
When she learned the pope was American and from Chicago, she burst into tears.
“I cried,” Sobieck said. “My dad cried when Pope John Paul II was elected because we are Polish and that was a big deal. This is a big deal. He is an American, but even more than that, he is from Dolton, which is like 20 minutes from the Catholic high school I teach at.”
“It made me feel so proud.”
When Sobieck heard that Pope Leo was a Sox fan, she was even more elated. Not just because they share a team, but also because it meant they are both sports fans.
“Pope Leo went to the ball game because that was his team, and he was at the stadium, cheering for his team, and it was just so normal,” Sobieck said. “That is what makes it so awesome.”
“We are called from who we are into something greater. Whether it’s at a ballpark or in a cathedral at the Vatican, like that’s who we are at the core of our person. We just have to be ourselves, and that is who he is. He is very real.”
Seeing Pope Leo’s aura of authenticity has given Sobieck a sense of hope for the future of the American Church.
“There are not a lot of people that are choosing religious life. We are at a critical time in the Church’s history where we need to revive that kind of selflessness,” Sobieck said.
“Pope Leo XIV’s youthfulness, his grin and how he is just so open gives me a lot of hope and excitement for what he can do for the Church and for vocations.”
Prior to entering the stadium for Mass, Fr. Fred Pesek, the associate pastor at St. Catherine of Alexandria parish in the Archdiocese of Chicago, chatted with parishioners.
“I am excited that we are all coming together as an archdiocese,” Pesek told The Pillar. “We come from all different ethnicities, the languages, the cultures, the ages, and we're all one Archdiocese of Chicago. And that excites me.”
It is almost as exciting as when Pesek, a South Side boy himself, learned that the new pope was from his area.
“I am still trying to process it, that he is from near where I grew up,” he said. “The exciting thing for me is, he’s born and raised here. He’s from an Augustinian background, which is very similar to my background. But he has also been a missionary in Peru for 20 years.”
“I think he just has a great balance that we need in leadership, not only for Catholics in the United States, but Catholics across the world.”
Though Pope Leo XIV has lived away from Chicago for so many years, Pesek can still hear the unmistakable South Side accent whenever the pope speaks.
These South Side roots, he says, give reason for a large celebration.
“I think we have something to celebrate. We have a lot to celebrate,” Pesek said. “Too often in life, we’re looking at the challenges and we do not see the hope. There is hope in celebrating who we are and that we have a Creator who loves us very much… and that we have a pope from the South Side.”
Pesek was joined by brother priests from across the archdiocese for Mass, including Fr. William McFarlane, the White Sox’s chaplain.
When he learned that the new pope was a fan of his team, he was elated.
“It’s absolutely wonderful that the pope is a fan,” McFarlane said. “It’s great that we can come out here and celebrate him. Look around, there are so many people. It is such a great day for Chicago.”
In conversations with the White Sox organization, he found that they too are very excited to learn about their new fan.
But McFarlane is reluctant to suggest it will help the White Sox improve their current 23-49 record.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to the players as much about Pope Leo XIV, but I know the organization is very happy about it,” McFarlane said. “I don’t think he will have an immediate impact on the team’s performance. Not yet. I think it will eventually. Let us hope that it does.”
During the celebration, though, McFarlane was not concerned about the Sox’s record or their June 15 game against the Rangers. He was simply excited to celebrate the new pope with the city he loves.
“It is so exciting to see how many people came together today to celebrate this moment,” McFarlane said. “It’s a wonderful celebration and opportunity for Chicago to come together and have an opportunity to welcome our new Pope.”
‘A historical moment’
Among the crowds of Catholics from across the city and country, a number of Protestants attended the celebration, wanting to participate in the historic moment. They included a Methodist bishop.
Dan Schwerin serves as head of the Northern Illinois Conference of the Methodist Church and was invited by the Chicago archdiocese to attend the day’s celebration.
“The archdiocese invited us to this event and I want to demonstrate unity in the midst of all that we are facing, and support the hope and the things that I have seen come from the early days of Leo’s papacy,” Schwerin told The Pillar.
After the election of Leo XIV, he saw a surge in papal interest within his congregation as people celebrated and wanted to learn more about what role their hometown hero would be undertaking.
“I have not seen so much interest in a pope until Pope Leo came forward,” Schwerin said. “The people in the United Methodist Church are cheering for him because he came from Chicago. There’s a special affinity for him.”
“I serve in both Wisconsin and Chicago, and even the people in Wisconsin who are not inclined to like Chicago are happy for this proximity.”
Schwerin was excited to hear Pope Leo address the crowd gathered at Rate Field and hoped to receive a prophetic word.
“I think Pope Leo will be able to speak to the United States in a way that others have not,” he said. “As a Methodist, about today’s Mass and celebration, I’m looking for a prophetic word which I think will be along the lines of ‘We are in solidarity with those who are on the margins. If we're followers of Jesus, we follow Jesus to the margins.’”
Inside the stadium, lines for concessions formed after the gates opened. While the event did not serve alcohol, Chicago-style hot dogs and Italian beef were fully stocked.
People walked through the concourse saying hello to friends, observing the elaborate costumes worn by some Leo XIV fans, and walking to find Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2, where the future pope watched the White Sox battle the Houston Astros for the World Series.
At the section, the White Sox recently printed a photo onto the column of Pope Leo on the loggia. A line quickly formed of people wanting to have their photo taken beside the column.
Caroline Jones, a sophomore at Notre Dame, stood in line with her friends, waiting to take a photo with the mural. While waiting, Jones and her friends discussed how excited they were for the new pontificate.
“I had the opportunity to sing for Pope Francis in Rome with the Notre Dame choir, which helped me to have a deep connection to him there,” Jones said. “But after reading about Pope Leo from Catholic news websites and living in Chicago in a community with so many other young Catholic people, it has been really cool to hear their reactions to the pope and how he wants the Catholic faith to be alive, and so many young people who are embracing that.”
“Many of my friends believe that Pope Leo will help revive the faith among youth. I am just really excited.”
Attending the Mass with her close friends gave Jones an opportunity to develop that Catholic culture and invite other friends into this exciting moment.
“We want to create a culture in America that is embracing our Catholicism, embracing our faith,” Jones said. “It is so amazing to have so many friends who are also here and who we can go to this Mass with and invite others into this incredible experience.”
Dominic Perri, a parishioner at Chicago’s Old St. Patrick’s Church, brought his two children, aged 13 and 14, and his daughter’s friend, because he did not want his kids to miss the historic event.
“It is a historical moment for the Church in Chicago, but also it is a moment for the American Church,” Perri told The Pillar. “I told them that I think in 20 years, people will say: ‘Were you at the pope’s Mass at Rate Field?’ I want them to say: ‘Yes, we experienced that.’”
Perri also wanted his children to see the pope’s video message and realize the Church is something so much greater than their home parish.
“I love our previous popes,” Perri said. “I think it is great that my kids can look up on the screen and see a pope speaking in English who comes from Chicago, from the South Side, and they can look and say: ‘I can relate to that.’”
He also hopes his children will find a role model in Pope Leo and be inspired by his life and work.
“I hope it helps them to feel a part of our community, part of our Church that's both local in Chicago and is global,” Perri continued. “It teaches them that there is something bigger than the classrooms they learn in and the church we attend and they are part of it.”
“I hope my kids can relate to this pope, who went and served the poor and gave his life to God, and see what their lives could be.”
I'd be interested in the history of the church allowing stadium masses like this. I hate to be a negative nancy, but anytime I see these there is just something off-putting about them (there seems to be a kind of carnival like environment). The environment seems wholly inappropriate for the celebration of mass. You can have a large stadium size gathering of Catholics that doesn't entail the celebration of mass. It seems we're lacking imagination here.
Another great article. Your coverage far exceeds any I have read elsewhere. Thanks for capturing the joy of this day.