Haitian Catholics at Notre Dame D’Haiti Church gathered for a historic Sunday service, celebrating the first sermon from Pope Leo XIV — marking not only the first American pontiff but also the first with Haitian heritage.
Eliette Silver, a longtime parishioner who has attended the Miami church for 40 years, said she never imagined sharing cultural roots with the head of the Catholic Church.
“It says to the world that you’re a great nation. Haiti is a great nation. Haitian is a great people,” she said.
The significance of Pope Leo’s first Sunday sermon resonated deeply with the congregation.
“Let us ask our Heavenly Father and assist us in living in service to one another, each according to his or her state of life,” the pope said in his message, delivered from the Vatican and translated for global audiences.
Pope Leo XIV has Haitian family ties
Born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, Pope Leo XIV has maternal ties to Haiti.
CBS News obtained records showing his maternal grandfather was Haitian and his grandmother was from New Orleans. His brother, John Prevost, confirmed in an interview with CBS This Morning that their mother’s parents were Haitian.
The timing of the pope’s first address couldn’t be more symbolic, as it coincides with Haitian Heritage Month — a moment of celebration and pride for a community grappling with turmoil back home.
A message of hope for Haiti amid crisis
Father Reginald Jean-Mary, who leads Notre Dame D’Haiti Church, acknowledged the emotional impact of the new pope’s background.
“They are very happy to know that. It is uplifting because Haiti is very down at this moment. The spirit is very low,” he said.
With Haiti in the grip of political instability and gang violence, Jean-Mary expressed hope that Pope Leo could help inspire peace.
“It’s the moment for all Haitians, all those resources, to form a bank of human resources so we can revitalize the face and despair of Haiti,” he said.
The sense of unity and spiritual renewal was palpable as Miami’s Haitian community embraced this historic papacy as a source of hope and global recognition.
