GAYLORD— News of the historic election quickly spread among Catholics here in Northern Michigan.
Bishop Jeffrey Walsh of the Diocese of Gaylord is on a retreat right now with priests from around the diocese.
He says he and those priests all shared the same reaction when they learned an American had been chosen.
Bishop Walsh says it’s a mixture of emotions, including joy and curiosity about what kind of papacy Pope Leo will have.
He says the new pope’s first message of offering peace was significant.
“That was something that resonated in my heart, when he talked about peace, that we’re always in need of peace in the world and that’s maybe one of the things that’s going to be uppermost in his mind,” he said. “I believe God will give him the ability to help us achieve that peace in Christ. One of our oldest priests who’s here on retreat with us, ordained 53 years, said I never thought I’d live to see the day of a pope that was from the United States of America,” said Walsh.
Bishop Walsh said Pope Leo’s time as a missionary in Peru will also be significant in shaping his papacy.