Pope Leo XIV’s New Orleans Roots Shine Amidst Chicago Celebration
NEW ORLEANS — As Chicago revels in the historic election of Pope Leo XIV, New Orleans, too, has a reason to celebrate. The newly elected Pope has deep ties to the city’s Creole heritage, tracing his lineage back to Louisiana’s vibrant culture.
Pope Leo XIV, born to Louis Prevost and Mildred Martinez in Chicago, finds his roots in New Orleans through his mother, Mildred. Her parents, Joseph Martinez and Louise Baquie, were married in Louisiana at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church. While Joseph’s birthplace remains debated—rumored to be Haiti or Louisiana—Louisiana is definitively Louise’s origin.
Census records reveal the family living in New Orleans’ 7th Ward in 1900, recorded as Black, yet classified as White by 1910. By 1920, they had relocated to Chicago, where Mildred was born.
Further tracing Louise’s lineage highlights her parents, Ferdinand and Eugenie Grambois, also Louisiana natives. Eugenie was baptized at the historic St. Louis Cathedral in 1840.
Pope Leo XIV’s ancestry, steeped in Haitian and Creole heritage, exemplifies America’s rich tapestry, with New Orleans playing a proud role in his story.
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