CATALINA FOOTHILLS, Ariz. (KGUN) — For more than a decade, Pope Francis used his platform as head of the Catholic Church to uplift young people — speaking to them as equals and offering guidance and encouragement.
Now, Catholics around the world are reacting to new leadership. Cardinal Robert Prevost has been elected as the 267th pope and will be known as Pope Leo XIV — the first American in history to hold the position.
At St. Thomas the Apostle Church in the Catalina Foothills, young adults from the Diocese of Tucson gather every Thursday night for prayer and adoration. But this week, the gathering carried a different energy — one of reflection, excitement, and hope for the future of the Church.
Laughter and chatter filled the room as the group processed the historic moment.
“I was able to watch the cardinal come out and say, habemus papam! And I was so excited. I started crying,” said parishioner Gretchen Erlichman. “I just thought, wow — the Lord has given us a leader for our Church.”
Erlichman, who has been part of the young adult group for over a year and a half, said the new pope’s name holds special meaning.
“Pope Leo XIII was a response to his time, and I think Pope Leo XIV — now our Holy Father — taking that name says something about how he’s going to respond to the time we are in now,” she said.
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Before the group joined together in prayer, Erlichman led a short lesson on the papal conclave — the process through which a new pope is selected. The group then prayed a rosary together for the new pontiff.
“We’re just celebrating,” she said. “We are thankful to God for everything he's done to help us.”
As a young Catholic, Erlichman said she hopes Pope Leo XIV will continue Pope Francis’ mission of reaching the next generation.
“The young are always the bridge between what the Church is and what the Church will be,” she said.
Like millions of Catholics worldwide, the group at St. Thomas now looks ahead with hope — eager to see what Pope Leo XIV will bring to the global Church.
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Maria Staubs is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Maria by emailing maria.staubs@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or Twitter.
