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New Orleans Roots Traced Back to Louisiana Creole Community for Pope Leo XIV
The first American pope, Pope Leo XIV, has a fascinating ancestral connection to Louisiana’s Creole community, revealing a complex tapestry of race and class interwoven through American history. Genealogist and former Louisiana state archivist Alex DaPaul Lee calls Pope Leo XIV’s rise “not just a religious milestone, but a historical affirmation.”
Initially skeptical when fellow genealogist Jamarlon Glenn mentioned the pope’s Creole heritage, Lee, founder of Alex Genealogy and Southwest Louisiana Genealogy Researchers, embarked on a deep dive into historical records. His research, along with contributions from his network of genealogists, confirmed the pope’s Louisiana roots, specifically the seventh ward of New Orleans, a historic hub for Louisiana Creoles.
Genealogist Jari C. Honora also noted the pope’s Creole roots.
John Prevost, the pope’s brother, confirmed the family connection but noted it had never been a topic of discussion within the family.
While the surname “Prevost” is common in Louisiana, the crucial Creole link lies within the pope’s maternal line. His great-great-grandmother, Celeste Lemelle, was the daughter of Louis Lemelle and Celeste Olimpie Grandpres, free people of color who married in Opelousas, Louisiana, in 1798. Classified as “quadroons,” their heritage likely included both African and potentially Native American ancestry.
The Creole community in Louisiana emerged from a unique blend of French, Native American, Spanish, German, and West African cultures during the pre-colonial era. According to Lee, 18th-century Louisiana recognized three primary racial categories: enslaved people, free people of color (Gens de Couleur Libres/Creoles of color), and the white planter class.
Further classifications like “mulatto” and “octoroon” frequently appeared in historical documents, and some Creoles of color, including the Lemelle family, owned enslaved people. The Lemelles, whose wealth stemmed from cattle ranching, rose to prominence among Creole families during the Antebellum period.
Records indicate Celeste Lemelle, a free woman of color, received earnings from a business owned by Ferdinand Gayarré in 1833. She also acquired land in 1850 from merchant Frédéric Guimont, with whom she had several children. This transaction was made irrevocable to safeguard her ownership, highlighting the significant fact that women, especially free women of color, held property rights in Louisiana from its early history.
The shift in racial identity within the pope’s lineage during the 1800s is evident in census records. Celeste Lemelle’s son, Ferdinand David Baquie, born in 1837, was listed as “mulatto” in the 1870 census but as white in 1880.
The pope’s family likely migrated to Illinois during the early 1900s as part of the first wave of the Great Migration, drawn by better job opportunities and civil liberties. Illinois, once part of the Louisiana territory, already had a Creole presence in areas like Kaskaskia. Passing as white in Chicago likely contributed to their success in the North.
Pope Leo XIV’s background underscores the rich cultural diversity that shaped Louisiana’s unique identity. Lee emphasizes the importance of recognizing this nuanced history, stating, “In America, a lot of people think everything is just Black or white.
But it’s important to note that the pope’s ancestry represents a more inclusive view of what it means to be a Catholic, and what it means to be an American with Louisiana Creole ties. This is more than just genealogy, it’s a legacy.”