Chicago nun gifts Pope Leo XIV a custom White Sox jersey

Chicago’s newest civic emblem arrived in fabric and stitching: a custom White Sox jersey, delivered to Pope Leo XIV by a local nun during a Vatican visit. The gift tied together Robert Prevost’s Chicago roots, the city’s Catholic identity and the White Sox’s effort to turn the first American pope into one of baseball’s most visible hometown fans.

The jersey came from Chi City Stitch in Oak Forest, Illinois, after the shop said a nun known as Sister Deb planned to travel to meet the pope and wanted to bring him something from his hometown. Sister Deb, whom the shop described as a Milwaukee Brewers fan, had initially hoped to wear Brewers gear, but Vatican dress rules prevented that. The White Sox then contacted the shop after hearing about the planned visit, and the business later received a framed photograph of Pope Leo holding the jersey, a keepsake it described as surreal.

The White Sox have spent months leaning into the connection. In May 2025, the club sent a jersey and hat to the Vatican after Leo’s election, and by June 2025 he had been photographed at the Vatican wearing a White Sox cap. That same month, Rate Field hosted an event honoring his election as the first American pope, turning the South Side ballpark into a site of Catholic and civic celebration as much as baseball.

The symbolism runs deep in White Sox lore. Leo attended Game 1 of the 2005 World Series at Rate Field from Section 140, Row 19, Seat 2, watching the White Sox beat the Houston Astros 5-3 on the way to the franchise’s first championship since 1917. For the special Pope Leo XIV jersey, the team revived Paul Konerko’s retired No. 14, linking the pope’s papal name to one of the club’s most beloved players.

The club is now extending the branding into 2026. On Aug. 11, when the White Sox host the Cincinnati Reds, they plan to distribute Pope Leo XIV-themed hats to fans in selected sections, with the giveaways styled to resemble a miter and the seating areas dubbed “pews.” What began as a hometown baseball allegiance has become a polished piece of soft-power identity, one that lets Chicago claim the papacy in the language of the South Side.