Above: Father Jairo Maldanado (left), pastor of St. Ann Parish in Edenton, and Father Fernando Meléndez, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Whiteville. Father Meléndez photo by Diana Matthews, The News Reporter.
Two priests serving in the Diocese of Raleigh have unique ties to the newly named Pope Leo XIV.
Father Jairo Maldanado, pastor of St. Ann Parish in Edenton, and Father Fernando Meléndez, pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Whiteville, shared their connections with the new pope, their excitement about his pontificate and their optimism for his role in guiding the Church.
‘Walk with us’: A young seminarian’s encounter with the priest who would become Pope Leo XIV
In a small monastery in Colombia, Jairo Maldonado, then a young seminarian, experienced a moment that would stay with him for life.
It was 2008, and he was in his second year of discernment, preparing to enter the second phase of discernment with the Augustinian Order, a religious community with roots tracing back to St. Augustine and an emphasis on communal life and spiritual unity, encapsulated in their motto, Cor Unum (“One heart, one soul towards God”).
The Augustinians, formally known as the Order of St. Augustine, once had a strong presence in Maldonado’s home region of Norte de Santander, Colombia, though their influence has since waned.
That evening, at the St. Alonso Monastery, the prior general of the order, Father Robert Prevost, visited to preside over the pre-novitiate ceremony, a moment that Father Maldonado described as “surreal” as he looked back on it today as a priest.
“It was a big, big deal,” he said, adding that he and his fellow seminarians were thrilled about the visit. Father Prevost, an American who had served as a missionary in Peru and taught in seminaries, presided at Mass and the ceremony, where rosaries were placed on the seminarians’ shoulders as a symbol of their commitment. His words, “Be open, be honest, and the Lord will show you the way,” left a lasting impression.
Father Maldonado remembered Prevost as affable, kind and a true lover of St. Augustine. “He’s very smart, a canonist who knows the laws of the Church, but also someone who listens and asks about you. He doesn’t rush to speak,” Father Maldonado added.
The evening concluded with a special dinner, a reception and activities, including singing, to honor the visiting prior general.
“At that point, he was the most famous Church person I had ever met,” said Father Maldonado. “It was like meeting the pope!”
Father Prevost served in that role as prior general from 2001 until 2013. He became a bishop in 2015; he was named a cardinal in 2023.
Fast forward to 2025, when white smoke rose from the Vatican, signaling the election of a new pope. Father Maldonado was in his office when the news broke. “We have a pope!” he exclaimed, as he rushed back to the rectory to watch the announcement.
When the name “Robert Francis” was revealed, it didn’t immediately click—until he realized it was indeed the “Robert Francis” he knew, Father Prevost, now Cardinal Prevost, head of the Dicastery for Bishops. “I could not believe it,” he recalled, laughing. “I lost it. I was jumping, screaming, so happy!”
The choice of the name Leo XIV struck Father Maldanado as particularly meaningful. Pope Leo XIII, who reigned in the late 19th century, had deep ties to the Augustinians, having grown up in an Augustinian parish in Italy and later granting the order land in Rome for the Augustinian General Curia complex, which includes the Collegio Santa Monica and the Augustinian Patristic Institute. This complex, located on Via Paolo VI just across the street from Saint Peter’s Square, serves as the international headquarters of the Augustinians and the site’s proximity to the Vatican underscores the order’s deep connection to the heart of the Church.
Father Maldanado also spoke of the remarkable breadth of experience Pope Leo XIV brings to the papacy. A missionary, bishop, academic, and canonist, he oversaw communities in over 50 countries when he served as prior general of the Augustinians. His curriculum vitae, or account of his life and ministry, is as diverse as it is impressive, said Maldanado.
“He speaks multiple languages, has worked with the poor, and has a deep knowledge of Church law. He’s the total package,” he said, adding that that Pope Leo’s first public address as pope, was insightful as he described himself as a “son of Augustine” and said, “With you I am a Christian; for you, I am a bishop.”
“I think he will have a universal vision of the Church and a love for its people,” said Father Maldanado.
For Father Maldonado, reflecting back years later as a priest of the Diocese of Raleigh in the United States, the memory of meeting the future pope remains a blessing and a confirmation of his own vocation.
“I see it as a privilege, a sign,” he said. “I truly rejoice in it.”
As Pope Leo XIV begins his papacy from the Vatican, just steps away from the Augustinian General Curia, Maldonado is filled with hope. “We have someone who will lead us and love us,” he said. “He will walk with us.”
A priest’s friendship with Pope Leo XIV
Father Fernando Meléndez, a Peruvian-born priest at Sacred Heart Church in Whiteville, shares a 37-year friendship with Pope Leo XIV, formerly Father Robert Prevost.
From playing sports together as seminarians in Peru to Father Prevost’s critical help in extending Father Meléndez’s visa, their bond has shaped Father Meléndez’s path to the Diocese of Raleigh.
In a heartfelt interview with The News Reporter (Columbus, North Carolina), Father Meléndez reflects on the new pope’s warmth, wisdom and potential to promote global peace.
Read The News Reporter's full story: Whiteville priest reflects on long friendship with new pope