Stories

By Ines San Martin

When the white smoke rose above the Sistine Chapel, the Augustinian community in the United States was already on edge. “I was upstairs doing some work when I heard the women in the office yelling, ‘White smoke! White smoke!’” recalled Father Robert Hagan, O.S.A., Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Thomas of Villanova. 

“Fifteen minutes later, we heard Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti say, ‘Robertum Franciscum Cardinale Prevost,’ and we just started crying and screaming with joy. That’s our brother Bob,” Father Hagan said.

That moment marked the election of the first American-born pope—Leo XIV. But for Father Hagan, it was not about national pride. It was about the recognition of a man whose life has been marked by humility, faith, and mission.

“We’re both proud and humbled by our brother and his many gifts now put in service of the Church and the world,” he said. Representing the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova at the installation Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Father Hagan joined hundreds of his brothers and sisters in a special section reserved for the Order. “It was 70 degrees and sunny, choirs were singing, and the square was packed before 7:30 a.m. Time flew. When Pope Leo came around in the Popemobile, they made sure he went all the way to the back of the square so that even those farthest away could see him. That tells you everything about him.”

That same day, Father Hagan watched as Pope Leo paused before the icon of Our Mother of Good Counsel—an Augustinian devotion to Mary. “He made a point of letting everyone know he takes guidance and inspiration from the Blessed Mother. That’s who he is.”

Though the world now knows him as Pope Leo XIV, to the Augustinians and to many in the missionary Church, he has long been a model of servant leadership. “When the deacon said his name, and then he walked out onto the balcony, it was overwhelming,” Father Hagan said. “And then he said: ‘I am a son of Augustine, and an Augustinian.’ We know what that means. We live by the Rule of St. Augustine: love God and love your neighbor. That’s what he does.”

For Father Hagan, Pope Leo is a reminder that missionary life begins not in grand gestures but in humble service. “He walked in the mud, carried bales of hay, slept on dirt floors. He was never above any of it,” Hagan mentioned of Pope Leo’s time in Peru. “He also brought his gifts as a teacher to the seminary there, helping prepare future priests. He went where most people wouldn’t think to go.”

As the former general of the Augustinian order, Pope Leo spent years traveling to communities across the world. “He speaks multiple languages. He immerses himself in other cultures, builds bridges of empathy, and brings Jesus’ healing and strength to people through presence and compassion,” Father Hagan revealed.

This lived experience grounds Pope Leo’s papacy in reality. “No job is too small for him. St. Augustine said, ‘For you, I am a bishop; with you, I am a Christian.’ Pope Leo lives that. He leads with humility. He doesn’t lord authority over people; he serves alongside them.”

What struck Father Hagan most when he first met Pope Leo—then simply Bob Prevost—was a combination of intellectual clarity and inner calm. “He’s incredibly bright, a critical thinker with a depth of thought. But what stays with you is his peaceful presence, even in chaos. He listens before he speaks. He prays and reflects before he acts. That’s very Augustinian: contemplation and action.”

Students at Villanova University, where Pope Leo once studied, feel a personal connection to him. “They’re excited. They see someone who walked the same paths, studied in the same classrooms, ate in the same dining halls, prayed in the same church,” Father Hagan shared. “He sent a message to our graduation class calling them to be bridge-builders and peacemakers. It’s a message they took to heart.”

For Father Hagan, this papacy isn’t just about history—it’s an invitation. “I think we have someone who really understands what it means to live with the struggles of life. He sees the dignity of every person, listens to the voice of the poor and the marginalized, and responds with mercy.”

Even though calling him “Pope Leo” still feels new, Father Hagan has no doubt that the man he knew as Brother Bob was uniquely prepared for this role. “It’s almost like he’s been ready his whole life. He really is our Holy Father now.”

And what should the response be for Catholics in the pews, particularly in the United States?

“For Americans who maybe have been sitting on the sidelines or apathetic with their faith—maybe with good reason—we now have an opportunity for renewal,” Father Hagan said. “Pope Leo calls us to be more intentional with our lives, to simplify, to reorganize our priorities. St. Augustine said, ‘Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.’ Americans are restless. But Pope Leo is inviting us into something deeper.”

Reflecting on the journey of a man who has lived as a missionary, a teacher, a servant, and now, as pope, Father Hagan leaves readers with this thought: “You make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. Pope Leo gave his gifts away to serve others—and through that, people have encountered Christ.”