Severna Park Men Are Part Of History With Election Of New Pope

Following the April 21 death of Pope Francis, many of the 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide anxiously awaited the appointment of the 266th successor to St. Peter by sticking close to social media or their televisions. Two young men among 120 Catholic American seminarians studying for the priesthood at the Pontifical North American College (PNAC, colloquially known simply as the NAC) in Rome watched history unfold from some of the best seats in the house: St. Peter’s Square.

Ben Oursler of Severna Park, whose home parish is St. John the Evangelist Church, and Andrew Chase of Severna Park and Our Lady of the Fields Church, are third-year theologian seminarians at the NAC, a seminary just a short walk up the Janiculum Hill from the Vatican.

Oursler, who is just 25 years old, is finishing his third year of study in Rome, since graduating from Saint John Paul II Seminary and The Catholic University of America. Baltimore Archbishop William Lori appointed Oursler to the NAC to study theology (the Catholic seminary formation process can take between seven and nine years).

“The last few weeks have certainly felt like a roller coaster, but there have been certain experiences that I will never forget because God has given me the gift to be in Rome during this special time,” said Oursler, who was present in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday to receive Pope Francis’ final blessing and to wave to him as he went around the square in the popemobile.

Oursler was attending Mass at an Italian parish on Easter Monday, when he and the world learned that Pope Francis had died. The following Saturday, April 26, Oursler was remarkably close to the altar for the papal funeral Mass and prayed before the casket before Mass began. He said the overall tenor of Rome that week was one of mourning the much beloved pope, yet prayerful for the happy repose of his soul.

After the traditional nine days of mourning for the holy father, the conclave to elect his successor commenced. On May 7, the first night of the conclave, Oursler was among the thousands of people outside the Vatican when black smoke arose from the chimney to indicate no new pope had been elected. He was present on the second day of voting, May 8, waiting for the conclave ballot tallies.

“That evening, a couple seminarian friends and I walked down to the square around 4:30pm and decided to get as close to the front as we could. Since it was still relatively early, we weaved our way through the crowd to the third row behind the front-most barricade, a remarkable spot!” Oursler explained. “After praying a rosary together and talking with fellow Catholics near us, one of my friends began to film the seagulls, which had perched themselves on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. After hours of watching a chimney for smoke, these birds had become a source of great entertainment for the crowd gathered below.”

Less than 10 seconds into the video, someone called out “fumata bianca!” which, Oursler said, is “white smoke!” in Italian. Uncontrollable joy erupted into cheering. The time was approximately 6:10pm in Rome.

After about an hour, the designated cardinal came out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Square and the crowd became silent.

“Even with thousands of people present, you could have heard a pin drop. The announcement was made in Latin, including the new pope’s name,” Oursler said. “As one can expect, amidst all the excitement down below, it was hard to hear every word that was being spoken. However, when the name Prevost was said, the seminarians and I were stunned, a pope from the United States of America! We never would have guessed it. Then came his name, Pope Leo XIV, a great name, everyone agreed.”

Shortly after the announcement, the new pope walked out onto the balcony to greet the crowd in the square and the entire world. His first words were, “Peace be with you all,” the same words that Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, spoke to his disciples when he gave them the holy spirit.

Back in the seminary, the NAC was “electric,” Oursler said. Seminarians and priests shared stories from the square, where they were when each heard or saw that it was white smoke, and what their first impressions were of the new pope.

“Most of us were still in shock and many agreed that it was a remarkable sign of unity within the Catholic Church that, although there were cardinals from all over the world, some of which did not previously know each other, they successfully elected a new pope in only four ballots,” Oursler remarked.

Similar to the funeral Mass for Pope Francis, the Vatican reached out to the nearby seminaries seeking assistance in serving the papal liturgies. Generally, the greatest need is to distribute holy communion to all the faithful present in St. Peter’s Square and down the Via del Conciliazione, the main road leading away from St. Peter’s and toward the Tiber River.

Oursler and Chase were among the hundreds of priests, deacons and seminarians present to assist at the Mass.

“Seminarians from all over the city gathered a couple hours before Mass in a nearby church and prayed together before the solemn liturgy began,” Oursler said. “About an hour before Mass began, Pope Leo rode out into the square in the popemobile to greet all those present. We had a magnificent view of him as he drove by - twice! We participated in the Mass, and as the time for holy communion came, we positioned ourselves throughout the square and the long road leading away from the square.”

Last Thanksgiving, as Cardinal Prevost, the newly appointed pope visited the NAC to celebrate the American holiday. Oursler was serving the liturgy and was able to briefly greet the would-be pope in the sacristy.

“While it was challenging to adjust to life in a different country when I first arrived and there are more than a few times when I feel the sting of not being close to family, friends and my many fellow priests and brother seminarians from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, experiences like the ones I have had over the last several weeks certainly cement in my head and heart that God, out of his superabundant generosity, desired me to be in Rome during these momentous days, not because I have accomplished anything particularly noteworthy, but simply because he is a good father who gives good gifts to his children,” Oursler said.

Oursler and Chase are finishing a Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology degree. They will return to Baltimore and be assigned to different parishes in the archdiocese for one year. In May 2026, they will be ordained to the transitional diaconate and return to Rome that fall to complete a Licentiate of Sacred Theology. In June 2027, the young men will be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.