Billboards of Pope Leo XIV honor Villanova graduate in Philadelphia region
Hours after Villanova University alumnus Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen by the cardinal electors of the Catholic Church to become the next pope, billboards popped up on highways in the Philadelphia region to honor his ties to the Delaware Valley.
Prevost, who chose Leo XIV as his papal name, was born in Chicago in 1955, but graduated from Villanova with a bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1977.
The billboards on I-676 in Philadelphia and Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden, New Jersey, read: "From the MAIN LINE to the DIVINE LINE. POPE LEO XIV. #WildcatToShepherd."
Keystone Outdoor Advertising put up the digital signs.
Pope Leo XIV is the first pope to be born in the United States. He's also a member of the Augustinian religious order and was elected the top leader of the order twice.
"As an Augustinian Catholic institution, we celebrate this significant day for our university community and the global church. Villanova, built on the teachings of St. Augustine, has always been grounded in advancing a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationship between faith and reason — between spirituality and wisdom," Villanova University President Rev. Peter Donohue said in a statement.
"With today's election of His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV, I cannot help but reflect on what his Augustinian papacy will mean to our University community and our world," Donohue added. "Known for his humility, gentle spirit, prudence and warmth, Pope Leo XIV's leadership offers an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our educational mission."
Pope Leo XIV was studying on the Main Line well before Jay Wright built one of the basketball programs in the country, but he still got a shoutout from the Hall of Fame coach on X.
"A blessing for all Americans, @osavocations @VillanovaU, most importantly the World," Wright wrote.
