LONG BEFORE he stepped onto the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica as Pope Leo XIV, then-Fr. Robert Francis Prevost had already left a simple but lasting impression on two Thomasians — a seminarian and a support staff member — during his time as head of the Order of St. Augustine.
The American-born priest visited the Philippines at least nine times during his 12-year term as Augustinian prior general.
In September 2010, Carlo Olayta, who was then a 19-year-old support staff member at UST’s Laboratory Equipment and Supplies Office, joined a friend at the solemn profession of an Augustinian nun at the Augustinian Monastery of the Mother of Good Counsel in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan.
Little did he know, Augustinian friars from across the globe were also present for a general chapter. Among them was Prevost, who was inside the cloister during the dinner gathering.
“I told my friend, ‘Let’s wait for Father Prevost.’ It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment din na may darating na prior general dito sa Philippines. Hindi natin alam kung kailan ‘yong sunod,” Olayta told the Varsitarian.
“Very smiley siya. Very malumanay. Very gentle. Very approachable. Very humble and simple. Hindi siya ‘yong mafi-feel mo na intimidating,” he recounted.
So when Leo was announced to the world as the new pontiff, Olayta was stunned. He immediately searched for the photo he had taken with Prevost 14 years ago.
“It’s very surprising. The Lord really works in mysterious ways. He surprises you. ’Yong mga encounters pala natin na akala natin very simple lang ay puwede palang mag-lead to something profound. You learn to appreciate moments,” he said.
Also crossing paths with the future pope was then-seminarian Rayvin Garcia in 2013 during the blessing of the newly renovated Augustinian seminary in Intramuros.
Garcia recalled Prevost being delighted at the prospect of having a moment with a Dominican.
Dominicans are historically linked with Augustinians due to the Rule of St. Dominic being derived from that of St. Augustine.
“I introduced myself as a theology seminarian at the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas Central Seminary. Upon hearing ‘UST,’ his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, ‘Oh, Dominican! Dominican!’” Garcia told the Varsitarian.
“It was a delightful moment of connection. The bond between the Augustinians and Dominicans is deeply rooted. This shared spiritual heritage may have contributed to the warmth and approachability Father Prevost showed.”
Eventually, Garcia was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Fernando in Pampanga, while Prevost rose through the ranks — first as bishop of Chiclayo in Peru, then as cardinal prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.
“From the very beginning, he struck me as a man of deep intellect, spiritual wisdom, and genuine compassion,” Garcia said.
Notably, Pope Leo XIV completed his doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, a top Dominican higher education institution.
Upon learning of the pope’s election, Garcia received the news “with profound joy and gratitude,” describing him as a “Thomasian at heart.”
“Knowing that Father Prevost drew his formation from a Dominican academic environment deepened my sense of kinship with him. It inspired me to consider canon law not just as a field of study but as a pastoral mission,” he said.
Garcia, now a student priest at the UST Central Seminary, hopes that Pope Leo XIV will be a “unifying shepherd of the Church.”
“I trust that under his leadership, there will be a harmonious balance between the cognitive and affective dimensions of pastoral governance — a thoughtful integration of reason and compassion, doctrine, and mercy.”
For Olayta, the pope stands at a crossroads in leading the Church in an “ever-changing time.”
“Hopefully, he will also listen to both sides of the paradigm of Catholics — liberals, conservatives, traditionalists, modernists — para magkaroon tayo ng middle ground. And I hope that we could be one and walk together with Christ.”
