Villanova students take break from finals to celebrate the selection of Pope Leo XIV, class of ‘77

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Church bells sounded throughout the afternoon on the campus of Villanova University, a melodic announcement that the new pope once roamed the halls and took classes at the Catholic institution.

The news broke as many students were studying for finals or, like junior Joey Kirner, getting ready to move off campus for the summer.

“I was driving with my dad, taking stuff to a storage locker,” the Catholic biology major said. “At first I was like, ‘No, what?’ It’s just a surreal experience and it’s amazing and an honor that is something that we get to have.”

The university’s president, Rev. Peter M. Donohue, called it a “proud and extraordinary day for Villanova University” in a campus-wide email he sent soon after the white smoke announcement.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost — who now goes by Pope Leo XIV — graduated from Villanova in 1977, earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.

Accounting major Emily Daiuto said she is “pumped” about the news.

“I’m hoping he comes for the commencement speech next year when I’m graduating, or at least just comes to campus next year,” she said. “But I think this is an awesome moment for campus. I’m loving the bells that are just playing now. They’ve been on repeat since 1 p.m. so it’s a great feeling on campus today.”

Cate Voegele called it “super cool.” Her dad, who also attended Villanova, texted her.

“He was really excited,” she said. “He just said, ‘We have a new pope, exclamation mark,’ and then he first said ‘Villanova grad, first American.’ We’re a big Villanova family, so it was really exciting.”

Leo the Augustinian

Prevost was likely influenced by his time at Villanova, which was founded in 1842 by the Order of St. Augustine. Prevost joined the order after graduating, taking his vows the following year.

“As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our University community,” Donahue said in his email. ”Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason—between spirituality and wisdom.”

Undergraduate students are required to take the Augustine and Culture Seminar in their first year. The course webpage says it includes “small, discussion-based seminars” in which “students are empowered to pursue serious conversations about life’s fundamental questions and share their best insights in an open and inclusive environment that allows them to learn from each other, respect each other, and define their own values on their journey toward self-discovery.”

Many of the Catholic students on campus said they hoped that the new pope would live up to his “Augustinian values” and continue the last pope’s legacy.

“I hope to see him continue in Pope Francis’s footsteps, having more of a progressive view of the church and keep encouraging more people to join the church and make it as modern as it can be,” Daiuto said.

Voegele agreed, saying she “likes that the new pope is Augustinian.”

“When I think Augustinian, I think just our values like Veritas, Unitas and Caritas — unity, truth and love,” she said. “Those are Villanova’s values and he went here, so I hope he brings those to the papacy.”

Not all Villanova students are Catholic, but most agreed the news was significant.

“My biggest surprise is that he’s American, but it’s pretty cool that he went to Villanova,” said senior Kelsey Sy. “It’s definitely a really big deal and it will impact admissions for sure.”

Sy’s companion, Arorn Aurora, said that he also expects the selection to help the university with fundraising.

As for the Augustinian values the university teaches, he said they are not exclusive to one faith.

“They’re just part of whatever makes everyone part of the community,” he said. “It’s just caring for people, being together, helping each other out. So it’s pretty normal stuff that the faith highlights, but it’s not anything too far-fetched. It’s pretty normal.”