The Delco Pope: Robert Francis Prevost Claimed As Local

DELAWARE COUNTY, PA — It's been a topsy turvy week for Delaware County. Earlier this week saw the arrest of the "Delco Pooper" and the return of a certain brand of infamy for Philly's most Philly suburb.

Now, a man who spent extensive and formative time in Delaware County has become the first American to ever be named the Holy Father of the Catholic Church.

Robert Francis Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV, attended Villanova University from 1973 to 1977. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree in mathematics before committing himself to the priesthood.

It's not known exactly where the Chicago native lived during those college years, and whether it was on campus or off campus, but it's clear he spent significant time in Delaware County.

Read more on the new Pope's connection to the Philly area:

• The New Pope, First American Ever, Is A Villanova Grad: What To Know
• Villanova, Philly Area Reacts To New Pope, A Hometown Hero

Some have gone as far as to call him one of Delco's own, including a Philly Burbs report that suggests his home during his college years was indeed within the county's borders. While Villanova University is in Radnor Township in Delco, it borders and straddles Montgomery County and Lower Merion Township, as well.

Specifics could emerge in the coming days and weeks as international attention is turned on Prevost's life. In the meantime, the Delco is embracing Prevost as their own.

"He is the first pope to ever sit in traffic on the Blue Route," the 'Meanwhile in Delco' Facebook page shared, though that is probably not true after Pope Francis's historic visit to the Philadelphia area in 2015.