White Sox Pope Leo night draws out thousands for pontiff hats and Catholic fanfare

Key Points:

• Cynthia Castañeda and her husband traveled from Indiana to attend the White Sox game celebrating Pope Leo XIV, receiving complimentary Sox-themed pope hats along with tens of thousands of other fans at Rate Field.
• The pope-themed hat giveaway, initially planned for 2,500 fans with special tickets, was expanded to nearly 41,000 attendees, and even caught the attention of the Pope, whose brother confirmed he had heard about the event.
• The game featured religious elements including a ceremonial first pitch by Sister Mary Jo Sobieck, a performance of the National Anthem by former White Sox organist Nancy Faust, and a pregame donation of $14,000 to the Midwest Augustinian Province.
• White Sox executive vice president Brooks Boyer expressed hopes to continue the pope-themed game tradition respectfully, linking it to the Pope’s childhood fandom of the team.
• Fans like lifelong Sox supporter Michael Rodriguez celebrated personal milestones at the game and remain optimistic about the team’s potential for a championship run, especially after recent player acquisitions like pitcher Luis Castillo.