Catholic churches are typically named in honor of a saint, a title of Jesus or Mary, a significant mystery of the faith, or an event in salvation history. The name of a church identifies the church's patron and serves as a model and inspiration for the parish. The namesake for our parish is Pope St. Leo the Great (c. 391–461).
Pope Leo I was the 45th Bishop of Rome, a successor of St. Peter the Apostle. He served as Pope from A.D. 440 to 461 and is one of only three popes to have the title “the Great,” the others being Pope St. Gregory I and Pope St. Nicholas I. The name Leo is a Latin word meaning lion, and our patron saint certainly lives up to the name.
Defender of the faith
Being a courageous shepherd and brilliant theologian, St. Leo defended the Catholic faith during a period of intense religious and political controversy. His famous Tome of Leo played a decisive role at the ecumenical Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451. This council was called after intense debate among Eastern bishops about who Jesus Christ is. Some at this council taught that Christ only had one divine nature — his humanity was essentially obliterated by his divinity. Therefore, Christ would not be fully human in the same way that he is fully divine. This is the heresy of Monophysitism (literally translating to “one nature” in Greek), and it picked up significant steam in the early Church.
On the surface, whether Jesus has one nature or two can seem like a pretty insignificant detail. However, this view threatened a core doctrine of Christianity: Jesus is fully God and fully human. If Jesus were not fully human, he could not truly represent humanity or redeem it. If he did not have a human nature, Jesus's suffering, death, and resurrection would have not been genuinely human.
St. Leo's Tome affirmed the traditional doctrine that Jesus Christ has two complete natures, divine and human, without confusion or separation. Today, this is commonly known as the “hypostatic union” of Jesus Christ's two natures. When the bishops in attendance heard Leo's Tome read aloud, they famously exclaimed:
“Peter has spoken through Leo!”
Lionlike courage
Beyond his leadership of the Church, St. Leo the Great is remembered for his lionlike courage in the latter years of the Roman Empire. In the year A.D. 452, the infamous Attila the Hun invaded northern Italy after devastating parts of the Roman Empire. Headed southward, he had his eyes set on capturing Rome. The Roman Emperor knew that the odds of victory against the Huns was slim. Instead of sending an army, he sent St. Leo to negotiate with Attila. After speaking with St. Leo, Attila unexpectedly agreed to withdraw his forces and leave Italy.
According to a pious medieval tradition, Attila saw a terrifying vision during his meeting with Leo. In the sky, Attila saw two men, St. Peter and St. Paul, with their swords drawn. Attila was threatened with divine punishment if he harmed Leo or attacked Rome, a city consecrated by the blood of these two Apostles and other countless martyrs. Overwhelmed by the vision, Attila abandoned his plan.
Why it still matters here
St. Leo's life continues to inspire Catholics throughout the world. To honor his saintly life and papacy, thirteen popes after him have also taken the name Leo, including the current pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. As our patron saint, St. Leo the Great reminds us to stand firm in the Gospel passed on from Christ through the Apostles and their successors, serve others with charity, and remain united to Christ and his One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
St. Leo the Great, pray for us!