Join our president, Father Jack Wall, as he tours the working-class South Side community where he and Pope Leo were raised just blocks apart. Pope Leo XIV and Father Wall attended the same parish school and were even taught by the same religious sisters.
In this video series called The Pope of the Working Class, Father Wall returns to his old stomping grounds: the park where he played, the neighborhood streets he roamed, the railroad tracks he crossed to get to school and church where both their families worshipped. As he recounts his own memories, he offers a special insight into the working-class environment that first shaped our new pope.
By taking the name “Leo,” our new pope’s name harkens back to his predecessor Leo XIII, known for his defense of workers during the industrial revolution. When you visit Pope Leo XIV’s working-class home and parish near the old steel mills, it’s not hard to see why this legacy of the Church’s preferential option for working families resonates so deeply with him.
As Father Jack Wall explains, humble beginnings don’t disqualify. They empower. This has been Catholic Extension Society’s foundational belief since our origin in 1905, as we support poor or seemingly insignificant places and regions across America. A humble beginning is not a liability. Rather, it is the setting for some of God’s greatest work.
When we build up strong faith communities, there is no limit wo what God can do for, with and through them—just as we saw with one humble parish in Dolton, Illinois, where God raised up a future pope.”
Father Jack Wall
Happy birthday to Pope Leo XIV!
Catholic Extension Society joins people around the world in wishing a happy 70th birthday to Pope Leo XIV!
We conclude our series The Pope of the Working Class with this special birthday message from Father Jack Wall. He shares his reflection from Dolton Park, a popular spot in the hometown he shares with the Holy Father.
A Mission-Oriented Education
Father Jack Wall visits the school that he and Pope Leo XIV both attended in Dolton, Illinois.
Father Wall and the future pope were taught by the Sisters of Christian Charity at St. Mary of the Assumption School, located next to the church. The school followed the same belief as so many other American Catholic institutions—that you can educate people toward a bright future.
Part of their education was learning that the world is bigger than just their parish or town, and, even more importantly, that we have a responsibility toward others. Father Wall and the Pope learned about the Church’s “Missions” around the world, which was surely an influence on the young boy who went on serve the people of Peru and become the leader of the Global Church.
Watch Father Wall reflect on the school he shared with Pope Leo XIV:
The Home is the First Church Experience
Father Jack Wall visits the house where Pope Leo XIV grew up, located just a mile away from his own childhood home. Made of Chicago Common Brick, the simple house matches thousands of bungalows across Chicago and its suburbs, where working-class families like the Prevosts lived, ate and prayed together.
The Pope’s humble roots are reminiscent of what Catholic Extension Society experiences every day: the communities and families that are easily overlooked are often the ones brimming with the most potential and the greatest faith.
Watch Father Wall reflect on how the first Church experience is the domestic experience:
Faith, Family and Work Ethic
As America celebrates Labor Day, Father Jack Wall reflects on the blue-collar community he and Pope Leo XIV grew up in. During his upbringing, Dolton was located near car assembly plants, steel factories and small manufacturing businesses.
Still today, the freight trains crossing through the town are a constant presence—a representation of the labor of the American people.
Watch Father Wall reflect on how Pope Leo XIV became a champion of the working class:
About Father Jack Wall
For 120 years, Catholic Extension Society’s president has been appointed by the Holy See. In 2007, the Holy See named Father Jack Wall as president. He has been re-appointed four times.
About Catholic Extension Society
As a papal society, Catholic Extension Society works under the authority of the pope. We look forward to learning from, working with, and supporting the vision of Pope Leo XIV.
Our mission is to work solidarity with people to build up vibrant and transformative Catholic faith communities among the poor in the poorest regions of America.
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