Then-Cardinal Prevost in House of Hansen vestments / Photo provided by House of Hansen
CV NEWS FEED // When Gerard Arens last measured the future Pope Leo XIV for vestments, he had no idea he was outfitting a man who would soon lead the global Church. But from his tailoring shop in Chicago, Arens watched with amazement as a longtime client stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Founded in 1908, the House of Hansen has dressed generations of clergy in meticulously tailored cassocks, chasubles, and miters. Under Arens’ leadership, the shop remains a rare holdout in American craftsmanship – all garments are made by hand on site.
“Everything is made right here,” he told CatholicVote. “A lot of the bishops and priests appreciate that because it’s all custom-made to their measurements.”
One of those clients was a bishop newly appointed to lead a diocese in Peru in 2014: the man who is now known as Pope Leo.
“We did his whole outfit for that,” Arens recalled, referring to the vestments for his episcopal ordination. He described a white chasuble with burgundy trim, which has since appeared in photos of the future pope during his time as bishop and cardinal.
“It’s a really beautiful vestment,” Arens added.
Pope Leo’s ties to the shop go back years and continued well into his rise within the Church. He had been fitted at House of Hansen multiple times, most recently in August 2023, just weeks before his elevation to the College of Cardinals.
“He was here for about a half hour,” Arens said. “We had a nice conversation. He told me, ‘In a week and a half I’m going to be cardinal.’ I thought, oh my gosh — I never would have suspected that he would be the pope.”
When Pope Leo’s name was announced, Arens had the same stunned reaction as millions of Catholics.
“I almost fell over when I heard his name,” Arens told CatholicVote. Like others, he had guessed that if the conclave chose an American, it would be Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, another client of the shop.
Yet that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm. “It was an American pope, which was fabulous,” he said.
“He’s just a very kind, humble man,” Arens added, recalling his conversations with the future pope. “He’s an Augustinian … and the patron saint of our store is St. Rita of Cascia, who is also an Augustinian. So we had something in common there.”
While Arens doesn’t claim a close friendship with Pope Leo, he values having crossed paths with him.
“I’m so glad I know him,” he said.
As the pope begins his new mission, Chicago Catholics — including the team at House of Hansen — are watching with pride and hoping he may someday return to his hometown.
