Pope Leo XIV's Waterford visit recalled by former Mayor

Former Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Damien Geoghegan has recalled on X (Twitter) a Waterford connection with newly elected Pope Leo XIV. 

American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost presided over his first Holy Mass as Pope Leo XIV with cardinals in the Sistine Chapel on Friday at the conclusion of the Conclave on May 9 in Vatican City. 

White smoke was seen over the Vatican early yesterday evening (Thursday, May 8) as the Conclave elected the American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost as the 267th Pontiff. 

The moderate from Chicago and a close friend of Pope Francis will be known as Pope Leo XIV.

Cllr Geoghegan, elected for Fine Gael in the Dungarvan-Lismore District of Waterford City and County Council, said in a post on X that Pope Leo XIV previously visited Waterford while Prior General of The Order of the Augustinians.

At the time, while he was in Ireland, Pope Leo XIV visited St Augustine's College in Abbeyside, Dungarvan.

St Augustine's College is a co-educational secondary school, with nearly 900 students, founded and now conducted by the Irish Augustinians. 

The school has been located at its Duckspool campus in Abbeyside since 1972. 

This follows a long history of providing education at the former campus, which was located at Main Street and Friary Street in Dungarvan town. 

At this time it was a boarding school for boys and continued as such at the new campus until 1990 when the decision was taken to become a co-educational facility. 

In time the boarding section was scaled down until it became a day school in the mid-1990s.