Mahoning Valley Catholics react to historic election of Pope Leo XIV

Catholics across the Mahoning Valley are reacting to the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born leader of the Catholic Church. The announcement, made Thursday from the Vatican, came as a surprise to many and stirred a mix of emotion, pride, and anticipation locally.

George Colaneri, visiting St. Christine Roman Catholic Church in Youngstown, said the moment felt deeply personal.

“I am so excited of being an American pope only because they said it wasn't going to happen,” Colaneri said. “And I said to myself, why does it matter that you are an American? You are the man — you were meant to be.”

Colaneri, who traveled from Louisville, Ohio, was in Youngstown to make arrangements following the death of a close friend. He said the timing of the pope’s election and his visit to the church felt like divine alignment. His message to Pope Leo was simple: bring people together and lead with love.

“You want to bring all the people back together and just be happy, because life is so short,” he said. “We just think that you can do it.”

At Holy Family Parish in Poland, Bob Gessler shared similar enthusiasm. He and his partner were shocked but thrilled when the announcement was made.

“At first, we're kind of shocked... it just never happened,” Gessler said. “Then when they announced it, my girl and I were kind of jumping up and down saying, how did that happen? That's great.”

Gessler said he’s eager to see how Pope Leo’s American background might influence leadership in the Church — particularly in terms of how it connects with U.S. Catholics.

“I think the people in the United States are kind of waiting to see if he's going to incorporate some of the stuff — how we live here,” Gessler added. “So they over there in Europe understand how we do things here.”

Pope Leo now begins his tenure at a time when many Catholics — including those in the Mahoning Valley — are hopeful for unity, tradition, and a fresh perspective in Church leadership.