RACINE, Wis. — A nun in Racine shed tears of joy when Pope Leo XIV was announced Thursday, having personally met the new pontiff multiple times before his elevation to lead the world's Catholics.
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Sister Angelica Summer believes that Pope Leo will follow in his predecessor's footsteps by building bridges and reaching out to those who are marginalized. The Racine nun met with the 69-year-old multiples times in the early 2000s when he served in leadership roles for the Order of Saint Augustine, and later when he was a bishop.
"He was always very warm and open. You got the feeling, you know, even if he was a little bit higher up, he didn't come across that way. He came across as he was listening to you and talking to you like a brother. So I always felt at ease with him. It was always very joyful to talk with him," Summer said.
Summer, who has been an Augustinian for 60 years, is with the Sisters of St. Rita in Racine. She lives and works at St. Monica's Senior Living. Summer said she was filled with gratitude to see the first Augustinian pope.
"I know from his brothers that he was a good missionary. He always reached out to the poor to the marginalized," Summer told TMJ4.
Watch: Racine nun shares personal connection to newly elected Pope Leo XIV
"Fills me with hope because I know he's going in the direction of Pope Francis, and I'm all for it. I am for inclusivity I'm for social justice I am for the poor the marginalized, so I have a great hope," Summer stated.
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