The pope’s family history of “gens de couleur libre,” or free people of color, can be traced back to Opelousas, a ...

There’s no record the new pope ever identified as Black, and he may never have researched his family’s roots in New Orleans.

I share an ancestral connection with Pope Leo XIV. What does that story say about race, religion, and ancestry in America?

The Catholic Church has always been central to Creole identity. The Prevosts aren’t the only ones who passed into white ...

When local T-shirt shop Dirty Coast heard that Pope Leo XIV had family ties to New Orleans, they did what they do best and ...

Early coverage of Pope Leo XIV has explored the first American pontiff’s Chicago upbringing, as well as the many years he ...

The new leader of the Catholic Church has a distinction that goes beyond being the first pope from the United States. Records ...

Pope Leo XIV was born Robert Prevost and spent several years living in Dolton, IL, in a humble home that is now up for ...

From the moment I first entered the archdiocesan archives, I was captivated by its rich history and abundance of records.