JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – As Pope Leo XIV approaches the 100-day mark of his papacy on Saturday, Mississippi’s Catholics are largely ecstatic about the energy he has brought to their church.
Cardinal Robert Prevost became Pope Leo on May 8 following the untimely death of Pope Francis. Though his platform is largely undefined and his legacy still very malleable, Mississippi Catholics within and outside of the state are still largely drawn to him.
For students at Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in Jackson, May 8 represented the conclusion of the first papal conclave they ever experienced. Chris Payne, the school’s principal, told WJTV 12 News that his students were excited to see the storied tradition happen.
“You had kids that didn’t want to go to lunch, because they just wanted to stare and wait to see who was elected to be the pope,” Payne said.
Principal Chris Payne and Pre-K students watching the announcement of Pope Leo XIV in May 2025 (Courtesy: Chris Payne)
Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School Principal Chris Payne talking with WJTV 12 News over Microsoft Teams on August 6, 2025 (WJTV)
Deacon Denzil Lobo (far left) and Father Joseph Dyer (far right) pictured with student altar servers from Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School in Jackson, Mississippi for an April 2025 Mass (Courtesy: Chris Payne)
Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School pre-K and kindergarten students enjoying reading time during a January 2025 class (Courtesy: Chris Payne)
Pope Leo XIV appears on the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica after being chosen the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Father Joe Tonos is the head pastor at St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson. The priest ordained in 1994 served during the tenure of four popes and has lived during the papacy of six. He knows that each pope adds something different to the church, but he appreciated Pope Leo’s measured approach to his predecessors and church doctrine.
“He’s truly kind of delicately walked the balance between the tradition of the church as we’ve known it for centuries and also being respectful of Pope Francis,” Tonos said.
Julianna Vaughn-Parrett is a lifelong Catholic and Tupelo native. Her relationship with the Catholic church has changed a lot since the last conclave in 2013. Over the last twelve years, she went from being a pre-teen to being a mother, wife and college graduate living in Vacaville, California, southwest of Sacramento.
“Whoever the pope is, whoever your church leadership is, plays a role in the next generation,” Vaughn-Parrett said, while holding her one-year-old son, Dawson.
Pope Leo XIV tells 1 million Catholic youths that they are ‘the sign a different world is possible’
Though Pope Leo has not rocked the boat yet on any controversial issues within the church, Mississippi Catholics think that would change during his tenure. Tonos doubts he will pick an ideological side.
“A pope doesn’t give any kind of shelter to the left or the right. It’s Christ hung in the middle, and so does he,” Tonos said.
Julianna Vaughn-Parrett holding her son Dawson at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco on July 26, 2025 (Courtesy: Julianna Vaughn-Parrett)
Father Joe Tonos, Priest at St. Richard Catholic Church in Jackson, Mississippi (Courtesy: Joe Tonos)
Sister Thea Bowman Catholic School Students participating in the Crowning of Mary ceremony which honors the life of Mary in May 2025 (Courtesy: Chris Payne)
Vaughn-Parrett also noted how politics and religion are often intertwined. That being said, she respected how Pope Leo had stayed doctrinally impartial.
“I think he’s doing a good job of staying in between and respecting everything we believe,” Vaughn-Parrett said.
Catholics are not the dominant branch of Christianity in Mississippi. Misconceptions about their beliefs have largely existed, particularly among other Christians. For Principal Payne, he’s hopeful that having an American pope may inspire people to be more educated about Catholicism.
“I think people are going to be more willing to listen and get rid of the the stereotypes that you hear daily,” Payne said.
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