Public program traces the lineage of Pope Leo XIV through Catholic and colonial records, offering a rare glimpse into Creole heritage, migration, and faith history in New Orleans
McGRATHPR.com – The Catholic Cultural Center of New Orleans, in partnership with American Ancestors, hosts “Faith, Family and Footprints: Tracing Pope Leo XIV’s Lineage through Colonial and Catholic Records,” on Tuesday, October 21, with a panel discussion from 7 to 8 pm, and Q&A session and exhibit viewing from 8 to 9 pm, at St. Mary’s at the Old Ursuline Convent Museum, 1100 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. The event explores the ancestry of Pope Leo XIV, tracing his lineage through colonial and Catholic records. Historians, genealogists, and archivists will reveal how research spanning continents and centuries—from Spain, France, and Germany to Canada, Cuba, and the United States—uncovered the Pope’s Creole and colonial family history. Archival images, genealogical charts, and historical artifacts will be presented during the discussion. Attendees will also have access to “Rooted in Faith: Pope Leo XIV’s Louisiana Lineage” and the Old Ursuline Convent Museum exhibits.
Panelists:
Sarah Waits, MA, CA, – Research Archivist, Archdiocese of New Orleans
Jari Honora, CG – Family Historian, Historic New Orleans Collection’s Williams Research Center
Christopher Child – Senior Genealogist, American Ancestors, Book Author and Magazine Editor
Lourdes Del Pino – Vice President, Cuban Genealogy Club of Miami, Lead Latin American Genealogist for the PBS show Finding Your Roots
Dr. Emilie Gagnet Leumas, PhD, CA, CRM – Independent Consultant, Fellow, Certified Archivist and Records Manager, The Society of American Archivists, Educator, Louisiana State University, and archives and records management consultant. Dr. Leumas also previously served as director of the Office of Archives and Records for the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Moderator: Dr. Wendy Gaudin – Xavier University
Registration is required at oldursulineconventmuseum.com/event-tracing-pope-leo-xivs-louisiana-lineage
Admission: $10 per ticket, seating is limited to 200 attendees
Light refreshments will be served
About the Catholic Cultural Center of New Orleans
The Catholic Cultural Center of New Orleans strives to be a premier place for the exhibition, preservation, and discussion of Catholic culture in the southern United States, as a vital part of the evangelization work of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. The Center will leverage the deep history and beauty of its campus at the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, King of France, and the Old Ursuline Convent (the oldest documented structure in the Mississippi River Valley), as well as the unique cultural context of New Orleans. We will offer cultural experiences that reflect the faith, creativity, love of beauty, and critical minds of our region and the diversity of the people who built it. We always will remain mindful of how our work affects the well-being of the most vulnerable people in our community and beyond. For more information, visit oldursulineconventmuseum.com/catholic-cultural-center.
About American Ancestors
American Ancestors® is a national nonprofit center for family history, heritage & culture based in Boston, Massachusetts, that has been setting the gold standard for genealogical research since its founding in 1845. Today, American Ancestors serves 400K+ members and subscribers through AmericanAncestors.org, one of the world’s largest online collections of family history resources. In 2025, American Ancestors launched the Family Heritage Experience, an interactive, state-of-the-art exhibition that introduces visitors to the joy of family history research, located at 97 Newbury Street at our headquarters in Boston. American Ancestors is also home to the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, which preserves New England’s Jewish history, and 10 Million Names, a project dedicated to finding the names of the enslaved men, women, and children in pre- and post-colonial America before emancipation. For more information, visit americanancestors.org.
