Millions of Catholics across the globe celebrated the first Sunday mass under a new pope and some mid-state followers said they felt more connected to the pope than ever.

Pope Francis delivered his first Angelus prayer in front of 200,000 Catholics Sunday at the Vatican.  In south Nashville’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, the gathering was much smaller, but the day was no less historic for the congregation of more than 1,000.

"It's a very happy occasion,” priest Fernando Lopez said.

For the first time in its history, the Catholic Church has a Latin American leader in Pope Francis who was born in Argentina
 
"It fills us with hope to know that the pope is Latin American, like us,” Lopez said.

Sunday morning Francis also took to social media, tweeting to 1.9 million followers.

"Dear friends,” the pontiff tweeted.  “I thank you from my heart and I ask you to continue to pray for me."

While he's not the first pope to use social media, Catholics all over the world say now more than ever, they feel connected to the church.

 “Twitter is really great and I like the fact that he's doing that,” said Edith Lopez, 18.

In a world where athletes, celebrities and politicians offer open communication through twitter, teens like Lopez are glad to see the pope doing the same.

"I think it's a good way to like get out to the public using twitter, especially for teens that's what we do now,” said Daisy Perez, 17.

Lopez and Perez say they're proud see the church evolving both through a Latin American pope and by reaching out to teens across the globe.

“I think that breaking tradition is also a good thing,” Perez said.

In addition to being the first Latin American pope, Francis is the first Jesuit leader of the Catholic Church.Midstate Catholics Celebrate First Sunday Under New Pope - Eric Alvarez