Villanova athletes inspired that pope keeps tabs on how his alma mater's teams fare

(OSV News) -- The likelihood of a future pope appearing on a nationally broadcast World Series game from two decades earlier seems a tad surreal.

By now, however, much of the world has seen the footage of then-Father Bob Prevost swaying back and forth in papal -- er -- palpable anxiety while watching his beloved Chicago White Sox successfully close out a Game One victory over the visiting Houston Astros on a frigid Oct. 22, 2005, en route to a four-game sweep.

Nearly 20 years later, that seemingly trivial camera pan of the Chicago crowd would take on historical significance when the nervous guy donning a heavy jacket that partially conceals a White Sox jersey would become Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025.

That day, after the white smoke billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican announced there was a new pope, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti announced from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica that Cardinal Robert F. Prevost had been elected and had taken the name Leo.

Among the dozens of communities that inherited particular pride in Leo XIV being the first North American to be elected pope is Augustinian-run Villanova University, in a suburb of Philadelphia.

The future pontiff graduated from Villanova with a bachelor of science degree in 1977 before ultimately being ordained an Augustinian priest, ministering as a missionary in Peru and assuming the role as prior general of the Order of St. Augustine (2001-2013). He became the bishop of Chiclayo (2015), then a cardinal and a Vatican prefect (2023) before his election as the successor of Peter.

Much of Villanova's collective identity has involved the success of its athletic programs, specifically men's basketball -- with NCAA national titles in 1985, 2016 and 2018. Women's hoops, too, reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2023, and the football program captured a NCAA subdivision title in 2009.

So, when discovering that Pope Leo the sports fan has supported their school's athletic journeys for the past half-century, Villanova students -- especially the athletes -- united in rampant celebration.

"As an athlete who also prioritizes her faith, seeing someone in such a powerful and spiritual position who also shares a love for sports makes him feel more relatable on a human level," four-year softball slugger Brooklyn Ostrowski told OSV News.

"It shows that even leaders like the pope can find joy and connection through sports, just like the rest of us. His enthusiasm reminds me how sports can be such a unifying force. Whether you're on the field or in the stands, it brings people together in a really meaningful way," she said.

"Pope Leo is a great reminder to all Americans to stay in touch with their faith," Ostrowski continued. "Especially as a young person and a student athlete at Villanova, it can be easy to get caught up in the chaos of schedules, performance and expectations.

"His presence and message are a reminder that faith does not have to be separate from our busy lives. In fact, it can be what grounds us. Pope Leo embodies those values in a way that speaks to people my age, showing that faith can still be relevant, strong and compassionate in today's world."

Like most students, four-year softball standout Ava Franz admitted that she had not ever heard of Cardinal Prevost prior to the announcement that ignited unbridled glee throughout and beyond the Villanova campus.

Conversely, for siblings Annie and James Welde, being aware of the Augustinian cardinal can be traced back to their uncle, Father Rob Hagan, a 1987 Villanova graduate ordained an Augustinian in 2003, Father Hagan eventually became his alma mater's senior athletic director and men's basketball/football chaplain. In 2022, he accepted the role as his religious order's prior provincial.

"I was watching in my dorm room and was really only familiar with one name that they might call, Robert Prevost," said Annie, a senior member of the women's basketball team. "Immediately after he was selected, the church bells rang all day. It was very emotional. People were hugging, some were crying. It brought about a renewed sense of pride for students at Villanova.

"I have had the privilege to be around not just my Uncle Rob, but many Augustinians all my life. They are the most selfless group of people, and their entire belief is built on friendship, something St. Augustine carried with him, and the world could use a lot more of today."

James Welde concurred.

"I knew they had a ‘Nova alum in the mix, but for it to come true was incredible," said James, a football tight end who graduated on May 16. "To have an Augustinian pope is something special, and my uncle being as involved as he is with it all definitely holds some extra weight."

Senior football offensive lineman Dan McManus and his roommate were in the process of moving out of their dorm when they heard breaking news via an alert from award-winning sports reporter Adam Schefter, an ESPN senior NFL insider and podcast host known for breaking news and his extensive network of contacts.

"It said that a new pope had been picked and we ran up to our room to turn the TV on," said McManus. "Then it took about an hour to announce the name. So we were moving stuff out again and we were outside again when (Annie Welde) called us and said they were on the balcony. We sprinted upstairs and saw the cardinal say, ‘Prevost,' then I Googled him and saw ‘American' and ‘Villanova,' then we freaked out."

As to the aforementioned video of the pope rooting for his hometown Chicago White Sox, senior football quarterback Mike Benincasa said the visual immediately produced far-reaching inspiration.

"It is awesome to see someone that we all admire to be and live like just being a normal and relatable person," said Benincasa. "It was also really cool to see some tweets he had re-tweeted after Villanova won it all in 2016. Seeing that he still cares about his college's athletic teams gives us as athletes a motivation and something to play for that is bigger than ourselves."