16 Gulf Pine Catholic • April 10, 2026 Mississippi parishioners discover family ties to Pope Leo BY TERRY DICKSON When John Ignatius Ozene watched the announcement of Pope Leo XIV, he felt a connection -- but not the one he would later confirm. “I said he’s from Louisiana,” Ozene recalled, noting the familiar sound of the name Prevost and the Pope’s appearance. “That was the first thing that came to my mind.” Ozene and fellow parishioner Sybil Ozene Prater -- his daughter, one of seven children he shares with his wife Thelma, originally from Delisle and formerly Thelma Dedeaux -- soon learned that their instincts pointed toward something far deeper: a shared ancestry with the new pontiff. The discovery gained momentum through the work of Alex Genealogy, a researcher known for tracing Louisiana family lines using courthouse archives and Catholic Church records. Drawing on baptismal documents and historical records -- long considered among the most detailed in the region -- he connected the Pope’s maternal lineage to Creole families from south Louisiana, including the Ozenne (also spelled Auzenne) and LeMelle families. Family members later built on that foundation. A nephew of Ozene helped map out the precise relationship, confirming how the local family fits into the Pope’s extended lineage. At the center of the ancestry is an enslaved woman, Marie Louise, whose daughter, Jeanette Clapion, was freed in 1780. From that branch emerged two family lines -- one leading to Ozene and Prater, the other to the Pope’s maternal ancestors. The connection runs through generations of free people of color in Louisiana, eventually linking both families through the LeMelle line. “It all ties back to the same family,” Prater said. “We’re related on multiple sides.” The research also highlights a complex history. Records show that some of the Pope’s ancestors later identified as white after moving from Louisiana to Chicago, a shift not uncommon among families who could “pass” in a segregated society. As a result, it is possible the Pope himself was unaware of his full ancestry. For Ozene, whose family has deep roots in Grand Coteau, LA, the discovery adds a new dimension to a life already intertwined with Catholic tradition. His father and grandfather spent decades working for Jesuit institutions there. Prater said the revelation left her nearly speechless. “I can’t explain it,” she said. “I don’t have words for it.” The pair shared their findings with their parish priest and fellow churchgoers, drawing amazement -- and a bit of humor -- from the congregation. “What do you do when you find out you’re related to the Pope?” Ozene said with a laugh. Despite the surprise, both say the connection has deepened their interest in the papacy. Ozene has followed the new Pope’s early writings closely, especially his emphasis on serving the poor. Prater, meanwhile, has one request if she ever gets the chance to speak with her distant relative: that he consider canonizing Henriette DeLille, founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family, an order that educated members of her own family. For now, the idea of contacting the Vatican remains a distant possibility. But the sense of kinship is real. “It’s not ownership,” Ozene said. “But you feel connected -- like he’s one of us.” John Ozene and his daughter, Sybil Ozene Prater On Sunday, March 15, the students of Our Lady of Fatima’s Faith Formation (CCD), grades 1-4 and Children’s Church were able to view a St. Joseph Altar and received a lesson about the altar by the grade 5 students. The grade 5 students also presented the “Tupa Tupa” which in Italian means “Knock Knock.” The “Tupa Tupa” is the Holy Family’s search for food and shelter which an integral part of the St. Joseph’s Altar celebration. The ritual begins with St. Joseph knocking on three doors, looking for food and shelter for his family. The first two doors the Holy Family is told “There is no room for you here.” The third door the Holy Family is greeted with a joyful response “Welcome to this house. The table is set. The food is prepared. Come in and honor us with your presence.” Connor Lewis played St. Joseph and Mila Gutierrez played St. Mary. Avalyn Leary read the St. Joseph Altar history to the students. Father Maxwell Quaye blessed the Altar. All the breads, fruit, can goods, rice and dried beans on the altar donated by the students from Fatima’s Faith Formation (CCD) and Elementary School were given to Fatima’s St. Vincent de Paul Society. Outstanding! Our Lady of Fatima CCD classes & St. Joseph Altar
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