CHICLAYO, PERU (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV traveled by helicopter Nov. 14 to celebrate Mass with a community in the Andes mountains that he used to visit when he was bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo.
“We are here in Santa Cruz, we are in the Department of Cajamarca; we are in the mountain range of the Peruvian Andes, amid these beautiful hills, with ravines and fertile valleys, in a land with Andean roots, where the Inca Empire flourished and which is the cradle of a profound Christian faith,” Pope Leo said in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, where he celebrated a votive Mass of the Mercy of God.
“I therefore wish to honor with gratitude the memory of the many missionary priests and men and women religious who, over the centuries, have worked generously and devotedly to spread the Kingdom of God on these mountains.”
The pope, who had lung cancer surgery one month ago on Oct. 13, appeared happy upon his arrival in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, a town which sits at an elevation of nearly 7,000 feet above sea level.
The pope began the day with the rite of the coronation of the Immaculate Virgin in Chiclayo’s Cathedral of Saint Mary before boarding the military helicopter to travel 93 miles to the town in northern Peru.
A pilgrimage of faith to Santa Cruz
Pope Leo made a quick stop at the parish church of the Immaculate Conception, where he knelt in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, as well as the image of “El Señor del Costado” (the Lord of the Side or the Lord of the Wounded Side), a local devotion, and met with people with disabilities. The pope told those present that his return to Santa Cruz was “a great dream that the Lord has made possible.”
People waved flags and cheered when Pope Leo finally arrived by popemobile in the esplanade of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, where more than 20,000 people were gathered.
“Many of you have traveled long distances to be here. Some have come from rural communities, leaving behind your families, farms and daily occupations,” Pope Leo told them.
“The journey you made is not only a passage along difficult roads, but also a pilgrimage of faith,” he added. “Their only desire is this: to encounter Jesus.”
When Pope Leo served as bishop of Chiclayo, he would visit Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, sometimes driving himself up winding mountain roads to reach the remote community that was part of his diocese.
While waiting for Mass to begin, Manuel Torres said he was grateful that the pope would come to “a forgotten” part of the country and remembered all the times the pope, then-Bishop Robert Prevost, would drive four and a half hours to visit Santa Cruz, especially for the patronal feast of El Señor del Costado.
“It is a difficult road,” Torres said. “But he would come, despite the rains, every Sept. 28 and in November for the confirmation of students.”
Nelly Tenorio Quispe, whose daughter was confirmed by Bishop Prevost, said that everyone was happy and grateful that he was coming back as pope.
“We hope to receive his blessing for all the people of Santa Cruz,” she said. “He was very humble, down to earth. He would relate to the people of the most humble means in our town.”
A priest from the region, who was ordained by Bishop Prevost in 2018, remembered the pope as someone “who knows how to listen, knows how to reach people and connect directly with them.”
“The people are looking forward to living this holy Mass with joy, emotion, enthusiasm, because it has been a while since they were able to see Father Robert, as they called him, now the Holy Father,” he added. “I think it’s a (like a) dream and a huge source of excitement.”
‘Thank you for your faithfulness to the Church’
In his homily, the pope paid tribute to the missionaries who first proclaimed the Gospel in the Peruvian Andes.
“Since the arrival of the first missionaries, from Turibius of Mogrovejo to the Martyrs of Chimbote, the seed of the Gospel has never ceased to take root and bear fruit in these lands, quietly, far from applause or great recognition,” he said. “In this way, here in the Andes, faith has grown simply and genuinely, founded on the daily living of Gospel values and expressed in traditions and festivals that bring peoples and generations together.”
The pope also addressed some of the issues facing these mountain communities, from the difficulties surrounding generational succession due to the declining birth rates that are emptying villages to the challenge of equitably distributing the land’s resources.
“In the face of so many difficulties, we may be tempted to give in to discouragement, resentment or even violence,” he said. “Yet this will never lead to progress and peace.”
Before the final blessing at the end of Mass, the pope made impromptu remarks, addressing the community that he grew to know so well during his time as their bishop.
“We have heard the words of the Gospel in which Jesus asks, ‘When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?’ I know that if Jesus decides to come to Santa Cruz, he will find faith,” the pope affectionately said.
“Thank you for your witness. Thank you for your faithfulness to the Church. Thank you for joining us on this beautiful journey.”
After returning to the city of Chiclayo by helicopter, Pope Leo is scheduled to visit the Shrine of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo, a saint to whom the pope has a strong personal devotion. The prayer meeting with the pope will mark the closing of the Jubilee Year of St. Toribio de Mogrovejo.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
