LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Students and alumni at Villanova - Pope Leo XIV's alma mater - held their first Sunday mass since he was elected. Reporter Andrew Stelzer has more on how people who attended are celebrating the new pope.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED CONGREGATION: (Singing) We are his people, the sheep of his flock.
ANDREW STELZER: It was standing room only at Villanova Church's second mass of the morning. Father Jeremy Hiers welcomed the crowd and its enthusiastic energy.
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JEREMY HIERS: Wow.
(LAUGHTER)
STELZER: Hiers said since Thursday's papal announcement, church attendance has been double the norm.
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HIERS: Now, this is community.
(LAUGHTER)
HIERS: Wow.
STELZER: Leo is not just the first pope from the United States. He's also the first Augustinian, a Catholic order founded in the 13th century. Villanova is one of few Augustinian universities in the U.S. It's where the pope, then known as Robert Prevost, graduated in 1977.
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HIERS: With Pope Leo's help, we'll build a bigger church because that's the good shepherd.
STELZER: Catholics around the world are hoping Leo will attract more to the faith. Crowds of people are streaming out of morning mass. There's also several groups of identically dressed women, soon-to-be graduates, taking pictures in front of the church. It's been quite a week of intertwining celebrations for them.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: On top of graduation, it's, like, double the excitement.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: Yeah.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: We made pope hats. We had a party the other day. We made hats out of paper. I mean, every single person that's texted me and was like, oh, my gosh, the pope is from Villanova. That's crazy.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: Especially people at other Catholic schools.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Yeah, like, my friend at Notre Dame was like (vocalizing).
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #5: They're jealous.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Yeah.
STELZER: Dr. Vanessa Gurley Holloway volunteers with one of the church's programs supporting homeless and low-income families.
VANESSA GURLEY HOLLOWAY: I think it's a large sense of pride in the community. As Father mentioned during his homily, that, you know, many people - they've received applications now that want to be Augustinians.
STELZER: Pope Leo has not announced any pending visits to his old school or to the United States.
For NPR News, I'm Andrew Stelzer in Villanova, Pennsylvania. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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