Thousands of the faithful are celebrating Pope Leo XIV in a uniquely Chicago way Saturday with an event and mass at Rate Field, where the pontiff’s favorite baseball team, the White Sox, play.

Pope Leo XIV White Sox

Pope Leo XIV (C) reacts wearing a Chicago White Sox baseball team cap as he meets newly wedded couples during the weekly general audience in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on June 11, 2025.

FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images

The event is being emceed by Chicago Bulls announcer Chuck Swirsky. Cardinal Blase Cupich will be the main celebrant and homilist at the Catholic Mass that will be the final element of the celebration. And the event features the premiere of a video message from Pope Leo XIV to the young people of the world.

Tickets cost $5 and sold out the same day they were released to the public. On-site parking will also cost $5.

Gates open to ticketholders at 12:30 p.m. A program of celebration, music and prayer begins at 2:30 p.m. and mass begins at 4 p.m.

How to get to Rate Field

Rate Field is located at 333 W. 35th Street, Chicago IL, 60616.

Parking on-site at the lots used by White Sox fans will cost $5. Heavy traffic is expected, so city officials encourage attendees to use CTA to get to the celebration.

Rate Field is easily accessible from the CTA Red Line Sox-35th stop and the CTA Green Line 35th-Bronzeville-IIT station.

There are restrictions on what kind of bags and items can be brought into the park. Click here for a full list of policies and prohibitions at Rate Field.

CBS News Chicago will be streaming the celebration of Pope Leo XIV live from Rate Field, including interviews with prominent attendees, the pope’s message and the mass led by Cardinal Cupich, on our 24/7 news stream along with the other news of the day.

You can also watch the entire event, uninterrupted, on the CBS News Chicago YouTube channel.

How to Watch

What: Celebration of Pope Leo XIV at Rate Field
When: June 14, 2025
Time: 2:30 p.m., when the program officially begins
Where: Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox
Online Stream: Live on CBS News Chicago’s 24/7 stream in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device.
YouTube Stream: Watch on the CBS News Chicago official YouTube channel.

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Sara Tenenbaum

Sara Tenenbaum is the Senior Digital Producer for CBS News Chicago covering breaking, local and community news in Chicago. She previously worked as a digital producer and senior digital producer for ABC7 Chicago.