White smoke poured from the chimney on the Sistine Chapel at the same time the Wichita Diocese held a special mass.
The Diocese was marking its 125th anniversary of Catholic schools across the 25 county region.
More than 5,000 students and Catholic leaders gathered at Hartman Arena Wednesday for the event. They watched history in the making during the special prayer and celebration.
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis. He is the first Pope elected from outside of Europe for more than 1,000 years.
Bishop Michael Jackels, Catholic Diocese of Wichita, said it is exciting to see a Pope from Latin America, with a growing number of Hispanics attending Catholic churches in Kansas.
"I think they were energized by the day, and then this news that came on top of it was kind of like icing on the cake," Bishop Jackels said.
The event included students from all 38 Catholic schools in the Diocese region.
