On this episode of Morning Air, Mary Hallan Fiorito shared the powerful, prayerful journey she experienced in Rome during the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV—the first-ever American Pope, and a native of Dolton, Illinois. Mary described the atmosphere in the Eternal City as “electrifying.” As pilgrims filled the cobblestone streets, and media crews crowded every corner, there was an unmistakable air of anticipation. Everyone was waiting, praying, and quietly speculating: Who would step out onto that balcony?

During her stay, Mary made time to visit the tombs of St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI—holy places that helped her feel the gravity of what was unfolding. And then, the moment came. While dining with friends, a flurry of phones lit up with the alert: “White Smoke!” A waiter burst into the room shouting “Fumo Bianco!” and the entire restaurant bolted into the night toward St. Peter’s Square. It was a scene of joy and chaos that only Rome could offer.

The announcement—Habemus Papam!—was surreal. Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, stood before the world as a Chicago-born Pope. Though he spent decades serving the Church in Peru, his roots are in the modest, working-class town of Dolton, IL. Mary recounted his early life with heartfelt clarity: growing up in a three-bedroom Cape Cod, walking to St. Mary of the Assumption School, and later entering an Augustinian seminary.

Pope Leo is fluent in English, Spanish, and Italian, and comes prepared with both pastoral warmth and global experience. Mary stood in the square, tears welling up, stunned at the moment’s significance. Not long after, she was swept into media interviews—a unique experience of Rome, layered with joy and disbelief.

Reflecting on Dolton’s rise and decline, Mary noted how this once-vibrant suburb shaped a future Pope. From a neighborhood defined by steel jobs, Catholic schools, and strong families, Pope Leo’s vocation emerged, proving that holiness can grow in the humblest places. As Mary so beautifully put it, “grace blooms even in broken soil.”

You can read her full reflection in her article, “The Rise and Fall of the Chicago Suburb that Raised Pope Leo XIV.”