Three brothers baptized at a Catholic church in Niles now have something that few people can lay claim to — baptism by the person who would one day become pope.
Years before he became Pope Leo XIV, Chicago-born and then-Father Robert Prevost was known as “Father Bob.” Part of his mission was to help area parishes with their services.
In 2014, St. Mary’s was in a time of transition between pastors and one Sunday morning, Father Bob was assigned to assist. That morning, Father Prevost performed the sacrament of Baptism on three area young people: Stuart, Sawyer, and Samuel Lundberg of Buchanan. Baptism is the sacrament of initiation and marks the formal beginning of a person’s spiritual journey within the faith.
Within a year, Pope Francis named Father Prevost bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. Then in 2023, Pope Francis appointed Prevost to run the Vatican office that selects and manages bishops around the world and named him to be a cardinal.
Fast forward to 2025, shortly after the new pope was announced, a representative of St. Mary’s reached out to the Lundberg family to let them know of the unique happenstance, confirming that the priest who baptized the boys was now Pope Leo XIV.
The three Lundberg brothers say they are elated and feel privileged to have met Pope Leo XIV, albeit briefly, eleven years before he would be selected for the role.
Disclosure: The author of this article is the father of Stuart, Sawyer, and Samuel and couldn’t be happier for the previously hidden treasure unveiled in connection with Father Prevost’s ascension to Pope last week.
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Pictured above (from left): Deacon Rev. Mr. Roger Gregorski, Stuart Lundberg, Samuel Lundberg, Sawyer Lundberg, and then-Father Robert Prevost.
