Excitement rippled through New York City's St. Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday morning, the first since an American was picked to lead the Roman Catholic Church in a selection that surprised and delighted many of his countrymen and women.

“I’m ecstatic,” said Alec Maddox, 32, a consultant who lives in San Diego, although he and his two brothers, Tommy, 30, and Jack, 28, admitted they didn’t know too much about the new Pope Leo XIV, either.

The election of Cardinal Robert Prevost, who will now forever be known as Pope Leo XIV and the first American pope, stirred many emotions on Thursday afternoon in New York City.Elected officials released statements and took to social media praising the decision,