Pope Francis is set to begin his first visit to New York City this week. 

On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis was elected the 266th pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

The new pope broke tradition from the start. Before giving his first blessing to the faithful in St. Peter's Square, Francis asked the crowd to pray for him.

But, long before there was a Pope Francis, there was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1936. He was the first of five children born to parents from middle class families who had emigrated from Italy after World War I.

To teach him responsibility, his father made him work as a custodian when he was a teen. He played soccer and loved to tango.

At 17 years old, on the way to a spring break celebration, he stopped in church for confession and says he felt a life changing mercy.

That's when he decided to become a Jesuit priest.

The Jesuits follow the philosophy of St. Ignatius. According to Fr. Nicholas Lombardi, of St. Anthony's Parish in Oceanside, St. Ignatius says that the gifts of God should be used when they're appropriate and where needed. And if those gifts are no longer needed, never be attached to any one way of doing things.

While some worry Francis is changing things too fast, Fr. Lombardi finds most Catholics are encouraged.

"A lot of what people like is that he's very open to the modern times," says Fr. Lombardi.