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One year after the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, this special edition of Currents News looks back on the defining moments of the first American pope’s papacy — from his roots near Chicago to his global travels promoting peace, unity, and dialogue.
“Pope Leo XIV – One Year Later” features:
– From Hometown to History: A closer look at the Holy Father’s roots and how his hometown in suburban Chicago is honoring him.
– From Turkey to Africa: Highlights from his apostolic journeys, spreading a message of peace, unity and dialogue among people of all faiths.
– From Rome to Brooklyn: How Catholics locally and around the world have embraced the new pontiff—from a Mass of Thanksgiving in Brooklyn to celebrations in Rome, including the Jubilee of Youth.
– An in-studio interview with Bishop Robert Brennan of the Diocese of Brooklyn, offering his perspective on Pope Leo’s first year and its significance for the local Church.
The Holy Father is having jam-packed, one-day trip to Naples and Pompeii.
At about 9:00 a.m. in Italy, Leo XIV headed to what is known as the ‘Temple of Charity’ at the Shrine of Pompeii, where he was welcomed by a group of vulnerable people and their families.
“And to you children, youth, and young people, I recommend that you place your trust in those who lovingly care for your growth,” he told them. “And even more always throughout your life trust in Jesus, the Son of God, crucified and risen, who saves and frees us, the Friend who never abandons or rejects us.”
On October 19, 2025, the Pope canonized St. Bartolo Longo, whose life was closely linked to Pomepii. It was there that he carried out his religious and charitable mission, always promoting devotion to Our Lady of the Rosary.
“When Saint Bartolo first arrived in the Valley of Pompeii, he found a land afflicted by great poverty, inhabited by only a few very poor farmers, plagued by malaria and by bandits,” Pope Leo XIV explained. “Yet he was able to see the face of Christ in everyone: in the great and the small alike, and especially in orphans and the children of prisoners, whom he made feel, through his tenderness, the beating of God’s heart.”
On the day marking the first anniversary of his election as pontiff, he greeted the faithful present amid cheers and applause. Afterwards, the pontiff went on to celebrate Holy Mass in the square named after Saint Bartolo Longo.
Pope Leo XIV met with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican where they discussed politics, humanitarian issues, and the future of relations between the United States and the Holy See.
In Bushwick, Brooklyn, a mural depicting the first American pope and the Terminator is raising questions – and prompting reflection – on the state of environmentalism worldwide.
As Teacher Appreciation Week continues in the Diocese of Brooklyn, an educator was honored for their commitment to Catholic education.
Recently, Bishop Robert Brennan celebrated the leaders of tomorrow: the Brooklyn shepherd attended the annual gala for the Vicariate Office of Black Catholic Concerns’ Youth Leadership Program.
The program was established more than 15 years ago to encourage young Black faithful in the diocese to serve as role models in their parishes and communities.
In a message online, Bishop Brennan praised the young leaders, saying their service and commitment is a gift to the Diocese of Brooklyn.
Teresa Hennigan, a fourth-grade teacher at Bay Ridge Catholic Academy, received special recognition from the New York State Senate on May 7 while the Brooklyn school was celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week.
She was presented with the “Educators Inspiring a Generation” award for her 18 years of teaching, which includes many years serving schools within the Diocese of Brooklyn.
In addition to her success in the classroom, Mrs. Hennigan regularly volunteers to organize school assemblies and community-building events that enhance school spirit and student engagement.
She has also contributed to the cultural and creative life of the school by directing several performances for students in grades K through four.
International bestselling novelist Liza Wiemer stopped at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Academy in South Ozone Park on Thursday, May 7.
During her visit, she demonstrated to the students the negative effects of judging someone with just a look.The academy is one of many schools she has visited in the Diocese of Brooklyn to talk about her book, “The Assignment.”
It’s a story based on a real-life event where students refused to take part in a debate about Hitler’s Final Solution.
Wiemer says she hopes to reach each school throughout Brooklyn and Queens so every student can learn how to fight hate.
Just steps from the Morgan Avenue subway station in Bushwick, you can dance the night away at a trendy nightclub, buy and sell vintage clothing, and enjoy artisan pizzas and craft cocktails.
In that same corner of the neighborhood is a deeper message about climate change, technology, and the Church’s call to care for creation for all to take in. A mural of Pope Leo XIV, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and the chrome skull of the Terminator stretches across the side of Bake Shop on Flushing Avenue and Bogart Street.
The mural was painted in December 2025 by the coffee shop’s owner, Massimo LoBuglio, a Catholic artist who also goes by the name Delphinoto. LoBuglio said it was inspired by Pope Leo’s first major address on climate change, given at the Mariapolis Center in Castel Gandolfo last October, a part of a Vatican climate conference, which he attended to display an exhibition of his paintings.
“[Pope Leo] was introduced by Arnold Schwarzenegger, and he said, ‘We need to terminate pollution,’ and Pope Leo gave this really powerful, inspiring speech,” LoBuglio said. “I wanted to continue that spirit and honor Pope Francis and his ‘Laudato si’ ’ encyclical, and his message to bring the Church to the streets.”
A post on X by user @isladeluca helped amplify conversations surrounding a Bushwick mural featuring Pope Leo XIV and the Terminator online, drawing hundreds of thousands of views.
The mural recently gained widespread attention online after an X user by the handle @isladeluca posted a tweet that said, “coffee shop by my house inexplicably has a mural of pope leo xiv and the terminator on their wall.”
It was followed by a quote tweet with a photo of the art, which now has over 673,000 views and dozens of responses from users intrigued by the unexpected pairing of the pope and the Terminator in Bushwick.
LoBuglio said the strong public reaction did not entirely surprise him.
“I noticed something while I was painting,” he said. “People kept stopping me and asking what it was. The reactions were really strong — shock, curiosity, all sorts of emotions.”
One of those reactions came from Nitsa Chery, a school counselor who works nearby and regularly visits Bake Shop.
“When I first saw it, I thought, ‘Why Arnold Schwarzenegger? Why the Terminator?’ ” Chery said. “It was random, but interesting. Now that I know the connection, I think it’s cool.”
“I try my best to be more environmentally minded,” she continued. “As a Catholic, the idea is that we love the Earth, and we’re supposed to take care of it.”
This is not the first time LoBuglio has brought papal imagery to the public in New York City.
In 2021, he painted a mural of Pope Francis at his Little Cupcake Bakeshop location in Lower Manhattan to highlight food insecurity and environmental sustainability. The new Pope Leo mural is a continuation of “Art for Laudato si’,” LoBuglio’s ongoing series inspired by Pope Francis’ 2015 environmental encyclical.
LoBuglio said he also tries to live out the message of Laudato Si’ through his businesses.
At Bake Shop, which serves fully vegetarian and vegan food, he said the cafe works to reduce waste through composting and limiting single-use products. Similar environmental initiatives are also incorporated throughout his four Little Cupcake Bakeshop locations across the city.
“I wanted to use art to raise awareness, make people more curious about what the Church teaches on the environment,” he said. “A lot of people are surprised to hear the Church is really behind this. Anything that brings it into public awareness is beneficial for everyone.”
The imagery of the Terminator also reflects Pope Leo’s growing focus on artificial intelligence and ethics, themes expected to be explored in his upcoming encyclical.
“The Terminator was prophetic in a way,” LoBuglio said. “Forty years ago, it imagined the rise of machines, and now machines are part of every aspect of our lives. I’m inspired by Pope Leo’s call to not lose sight that we’re humans, we need to look eye to eye and interact and live outside the digital realm.”
And on a busy Bushwick street corner, the mural continues to stop passersby in their tracks — prompting questions, conversations, and interpretations.
“I think there’s always a deep spiritual longing among people,” he said.
What do Pope Leo XIV and the Terminator have in common?
One local New York City artist sees them both as action heroes saving the environment. And in Bushwick, a mural by him is turning heads and changing opinions.
A religious sister from Queens has been helping homeless people since the pandemic. Now the ministry she established has expanded, and volunteers are assisting families that are down on their luck.
As he prepares to mark his first full year as pontiff, Pope Leo XIV is also getting ready to visit Pompeii. His visit will be the first by a pope in 11 years.
In Manhattan, a feature film made by a Jesuit priest is in its final round of edits. We introduce you to the Jesuit Brother from Brooklyn who has made telling the greatest story ever told his personal mission.
Men and women religious from across Brooklyn and Queens joined together in song and prayer on Sunday, May 3, to honor the sisters and brothers celebrating Jubilee anniversaries this year.
Bishop Robert Brennan, who celebrated the Mass, thanked the religious for their decades of service to the diocese and their continued life of faithful missions.
Twenty-seven jubilarians were able to attend, marking milestones ranging from 25 to 80 years of service.