Teach about the life of our new Pope Leo XIV, the first Augustinian and U.S.-born pope in history using the worksheet below.
To get additional tools to teach about the papacy and the lives of recent popes, download The Religion Teacher’s Pope Activity Pack. This resource features four, easy-to-teach lessons with worksheets, videos, prayers, meditations, and more. Access it here.
You can also download and print the biography and reflection questions below.
The Life of Leo XIV
Pope Leo XIV was born as Robert Francis Prevost on the south side of Chicago in 1955, the youngest of three boys. As early as the first grade, he knew he wanted to become a priest. He entered the Augustinian seminary during high school then went on to study mathematics at Villanova University. After college, he officially joined the Order of Saint Augustine and was ordained a priest in 1982. He earned a Master of Divinity degree and doctorate in canon law, then served as a missionary and seminary teacher in Peru for more than a decade. He returned to the United States in 1998 when he was elected provincial leader of the Augustinians in Chicago, then later serving as the head of the entire Order of Augustine until 2013. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him as a bishop in Peru where he had spent many years before as a missionary. In 2023, the pope appointed him as the prefect of the Dicastery of Bishops, where he evaluated and recommended candidates to serve as bishops throughout the world. He was made a cardinal in 2024, then in 2025, shortly after the death of Pope Francis, this first Augustinian and first U.S.-born pope was elected by the College of Cardinals taking the name Leo XIV.
Pope Leo XIV Reflection Questions
- Pope Leo XIV felt called to the priesthood at a young age. Have you ever considered joining the religious life or becoming a priest? Why or why not?
- Pope Leo XIV balanced study and service. In what ways can you (or do you) serve the poor in your community?
- How do you think having an American-born pope will impact the Church in the U.S.?
Download the Leo XIV Biography Worksheet
Download the Pope Leo XIV Biography Worksheet, which includes three questions to help your students reflect on their lives in connection to the life of the pope.
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