At The Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Center City, a special noon mass was held to not only celebrate, but pray for the new pontiff.
The faithful are offering their thanks for the new pope.
"You could tell he was speaking the words everybody was thinking and just kind of it felt encouraging," said Ciaran Mcateer of Hershey, Pennsylvania.
"I had to be here to support this prayer for our pope," said Rebecca Rose of Mantua.
RELATED: Pope Leo XIV, the new leader of Catholics worldwide, is a graduate of Villanova University
Pope Leo XIV, the new leader of Catholics worldwide, is a graduate of Villanova University
Archbishop Nelson Perez used the moment to get personal, stepping down from the pulpit and into the crowd.
Part of his prayer today was that Pope Leo XIV will have a long reign and encouraging messages for the man leading the more than 1 billion Catholics worldwide.
"They realized that he had the soul, heart, humility. He had everything that it took, so they made a good decision," said Rose.
On the campus of Villanova University, students and faculty are still buzzing with pride after Villanova alumnus Pope Leo XIV was named the new Pontiff.
"Everyone is so excited. I still personally can't even believe it," said Villanova freshman Brett Alexander.
"Realistically, there's a chance he might come to Villanova at some point. It would be really cool to meet the pope," said Villanova freshman Max Allen. "Just looking forward to what this means for the school, what this means for the church."
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Cardinal Robert Prevost elected as the surprise choice to be the new leader of the Catholic Church
The American pontiff is already getting to work.
Earlier this morning, Pope Leo XIV celebrated his first Mass in the new role at the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.
He even spoke in English at one point, adding to the historic moment.
"You have called me to carry that cross and to be blessed with that mission," spoke Pope Leo XIV.