Mildred Agnes Martinez, the mother of Pope Leo XIV: he sang L’Ave Maria at the top

From our correspondent
Chicago – On the stay table of John Prevostthe pope’s brother, among the photos of a life preserved in a plastic envelope and scattered around journalists, stood out those of the mother, Mildred Agnes Martinez. In one it appeared elegant with hat and fur behind the three children born over the course of four years in front of the Chicago cathedralin another with two of them resting on a period machine. John confirmed us that he sang with a splendid voice in their parish of St Mary of the Asshonption in Dollonin South Side, where he was very active (it seems that he had recorded his version of the Ave Maria and loved to participate in the costume performance for the school) and where he also created a group to recite the Rosary.

Friends called her Millie and He was the youngest of a large Catholic family; He had attended the Liceo dell’Immacolata in the North Side in 1929 (she unlike the children cheered for the Cubs baseball team), He graduated in Education Sciences in 1947 And he had also pursued a post-graduate education at Depaul University, something unusual for women in his time. He waited until thirty years – according to the registers of the County of Chicago, viewed by New York Times – To marry Louis Prevost, the Pope’s fatherwho was eight years younger than her. He was between 30 and 40 when he became a mother. His Catholic faith has been strongly transmitted to Robertmarking his path. There has been talk of its Creole origins, but it does not seem to talk to the children, at least according to John, who replied to Courier: «He was French and Spanish, his parents were in Haiti, moved to New Orleans and was born in Chicago. I don’t know if it were cream, it’s possible … « .

He died of cancer in 1990but his children are about to meet: John has already flown to Rome, Louis who lives in Florida is sick but he will try to be there for the Mass of 18 May. John told the Corriere that « we knew and accepted the idea that he would become a priest from a young age. » Bishop Daniel Turley told the Times that the Pope’s mother « It was one of those people who, when you meet them, feel the presence of God. Practically a saint ». He taught his children to cook, to clean the house and iron, but he also had other interests. According to Chicago Tribune, in 1952 he participated in a seminar entitled « Catholic women in the professional world »Review a book in a women’s reading club of Catholic women, volunteered in the Library of the Catholic School. According to the eldest son, Louis, four years older than Dad, The family pointed a lot to education and « maybe she also wanted to become a teacher But he could not do it because he married and had children ». John says that If the parents were alive today, at the news that his son Robert became Pope, « at the beginning they would be amazedthen very proud and finally they would worry, because it is a huge responsibility, will have a big weight on his shoulders ».