In January 2004, Robert Francis Prevost stood quietly in Cebu, Philippines, blessing a small Augustinian friary. At the time, he was the prior general of the Order of St. Augustine, overseeing communities across the globe. Yet, in this photo, there is no fanfare, no celebrity treatment—just a man at ease with simplicity, traveling, listening, and serving. It’s hard to imagine that these same hands, once blessing modest buildings in Asia, would one day hold the symbol of the papacy.

Fast forward to 2014, and Prevost appears in a scene so ordinary it seems almost fictional. He stands in Ireland, waiting in line to pay his respects at Cardinal Brady’s funeral. A stranger strikes up a conversation with him, unaware that the man is the global superior general of the Augustinians—already destined for far greater responsibilities. Later that year, Prevost was ordained as the fourth bishop of Chiclayo, Peru. But in this photo, he remains hidden in the crowd, a figure of quiet humility.

By September 2020, Bishop Robert Prevost had fully immersed himself in the life of northern Peru. In a dusty parish in Mórrope, he is seen blessing a woman during Mass, surrounded by parishioners who knew him not as a future pope but as their neighbor and shepherd. Having become a Peruvian citizen in 2015, Prevost’s decades of missionary service show a pastoral heart close to the people, far from the spotlight.

Everything began to shift in 2023. Born in Chicago and shaped in Peru, Prevost was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, quietly becoming one of the most influential figures in the Church. This dramatic change in scenery—from humble parishes to the grandeur of Vatican halls—did not alter the humility that defined him. Those who knew him say he carried the spirit of a missionary, even as his responsibilities grew.

On September 30, 2023, the transformation became visible. During a consistory in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis created Robert Francis Prevost a cardinal. The photo captures the exact moment when his lifetime of service was publicly recognized. Yet even dressed in red, Prevost’s expression is reflective rather than triumphant, as if sensing that this was not an end, but a preparation for something far greater.

By early 2025, the Church’s mood had grown heavy. Pope Francis was frail, recovering from bronchitis and pneumonia. On February 9, 2025, Prevost greeted Francis during the Jubilee of the Armed Forces Mass. The pope was weak, unable to finish his homily. In hindsight, this moment feels like a passing of the torch—a tired shepherd acknowledging the man who would soon inherit his flock.

On March 3, 2025, Cardinal Prevost led the rosary in St. Peter’s Square, praying for the health of Pope Francis, who was hospitalized. His voice was steady, but the atmosphere was laden with grief. The Church was not only praying for Francis’s recovery but bracing for what seemed inevitable.

Palm Sunday arrived on April 13, 2025. Prevost stood beside Cardinal Parolin during Mass, palms raised as the crowds cheered. Yet behind the celebration, anxiety lingered. Pope Francis was visibly frail, and the Church felt suspended between hope and grief. That grief turned to mourning on April 26, 2025, when Pope Francis passed away. At his funeral in St. Peter’s Square, Cardinal Prevost stood among the mourners, a son grieving for the man who had trusted him, promoted him, and guided him.

On May 7, 2025, the conclave commenced. A photo shows Prevost inside St. Peter’s Basilica, silent and reflective, still a cardinal. It is the last image of him before history changes his name forever. The next day, May 8, 2025, the white smoke rises. Robert Francis Prevost, the quiet missionary from Chicago and Peru, is elected Pope Leo XIV. In Chiclayo, Peru, Monsignor Luis Alberto Barrera holds up a photo of Prevost with Pope Francis, sharing the news with stunned parishioners. Their former bishop, their neighbor, their Peruvian citizen, has become the shepherd of the world.

Finally, on May 18, 2025, under the open sky of St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV receives the Fisherman’s Ring during his inauguration Mass. The photo of this moment captures the completion of a hidden journey that began in the Philippines and Peru, far from Rome. From blessing a modest friary to leading the global Church, Pope Leo XIV’s story is a testament to the power of humility and service. His life reminds us that the greatest callings often grow in silence, preparing hearts for the responsibility of shepherding the world.