‘Twas the white smoke that rose from the chimney on high;

It set an ALLELUIA beyond the blue sky.

A new pope was chosen; those cardinals did their job.

With help from the Holy Spirit, we’ve a new pope named Bob.

But even more thrilling, he’s from the U.S. of A.

And miracles continued with the BIG news of the day.

Pope Leo XIV, in his flowing white robe,

Now leading Catholics from all around the globe,

Was born in Chicago on the city’s South Side;

Where Little League taught him to throw, hit and slide.

Ate Aurelio’s pizza; no doubt Mom’s apple pie,

Went to Sox games with Dad; where he’d clap and he’d cry.

But this kid was a sport fan with a faith far more deep;

As an altar boy no one worried about him falling asleep.

Unlike most little Catholics who are gray-hairs today,

He played “priest” in his down-time, a blest calling on display.

So very much like us; yet different by far;

As he rose through church ranks, Bob became a rock star

Now the Sox fan from Dolton has the toughest job on Earth;

Bring peace to all nations. But for what it is worth

I hope the new pope’s got a soft spot in his heart

For America in general and for where he got his start.

We need Leo’s attention, his wisdom and love.

Let’s face it, we could use a strong link to above.

But for now we will celebrate the light Leo’s brought

To the souls of our communities. That’s saying a lot.

A Boomer from the heartland: How cool can that be

That we all grew up watching the same shows on TV;

That we ate the same foods and wore similar brands;

And as we got older, took like-minded stands.

As for Vatican City, that exotic place in Rome?

It now seems less foreign and closer to home.

Here’s a big “Amen, Lord!” for that rare local tie.

One day he’ll be sainted; For now, Leo’s our guy.

So God bless and protect him from all the naysayers.

May da’ pope from Chicago be the answer to our prayers.

dcrosby@tribpub.com