After the papal conclave in Rome revealed Chicago native Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was chosen as the 267th Bishop of Rome, the Diocese of St. Cloud began celebrating the news.

Saint Benedict’s Monastery said their "prayers are with Pope Leo XIV" as he starts his new role. Catholics in St. Cloud were among many worldwide celebrating the election of the new pope Thursday.

An hour west of Minneapolis, St. Cloud State University is a large, hockey-focused public school in St. Cloud, MN. St. Cloud State’s campus is 100 acres and located along the Mississippi River.

Neary met Pope Francis in 2023 and "felt not only his holiness but his humanness. He was just one of us," he said in the Diocese's statement. St. Cloud diocese's population has increased 7% since ...