Detroit Mercy has connections to the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost, the first pope from the United States.
Pope Leo’s uncle, John Centi Prevost, was a longtime modern and foreign languages professor at the University of Detroit. He specialized in French. He began teaching at University of Detroit in 1953 and also had teaching stints at Wayne State University. He finished his teaching career at U-D (1975-85).
John Prevost is the brother of Pope Leo’s father, Louis Prevost. They both grew up in Hyde Park, in Chicago, Illinois.
Both Pope Leo and his uncle have ties to Michigan. His holiness attended high school at St. Augustine Seminary in Saugatuck, Michigan on the west side of the state.