Pope Leo crowns Mary at his old cathedral, then takes Mass to the Andes town he once reached on horseback
Photo: Daniel Ibáñez / EWTN NewsPope Leo XIV began Saturday by crowning the Immaculate Virgin at the Chiclayo cathedral where his ministry as a bishop began — then flew by helicopter into the Peruvian Andes to celebrate Mass in a remote town of under 6,000 people he once reached on horseback. Before a crowd the Vatican estimated at more than 20,000, he told them "never to lose trust in God."
Leo left the bishop's residence in Chiclayo on foot at 7:55 a.m. and walked to the Cathedral of Saint Mary for the rite of coronation of the Immaculate Virgin, held in the atrium in front of the cathedral's main entrance. In his homily he said the crown he placed on the image was meant to symbolize "the tribute of gratitude and filial love offered to her by the Pope, together with you and the whole Church," honoring Mary as "the loving Mother and Patroness of Chiclayo."
Devotion to the Immaculate Virgin, he told the congregation, is "part of the Christian roots that shape your identity and strengthen your faith." Looking back on his eight years as their bishop, he said: "At your side I learned to be the shepherd of Chiclayo. You accompanied me through its towns and cities." He entrusted his life and his ministry as pope to Mary's Immaculate Heart, and invited the faithful to "keep walking forward together, as one family of God" — a family longing for "a world marked by love and compassion, forgiveness and the pursuit of justice."
From the cathedral, Leo drove to the air base in Chiclayo and boarded a helicopter for Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) east in the mountains of the Cajamarca region — a journey he made many times as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023, then by winding mountain roads. This time he arrived by air at 10:07 a.m., stopping first at the Parish of Our Lady Immaculate before celebrating Mass at 11:06 a.m. on an open esplanade, touring among the faithful in an open car. A local band sang "Pope Leo, welcome home," and buildings across the town center were painted with murals of the pope from his days as their bishop.
Santa Cruz is a town of under 6,000 people in one of Peru's poorest regions, where up to 40 percent of the population lives in poverty, according to the state statistics office. It sits more than 2,000 meters (6,560 feet) above sea level among green Andean peaks. As bishop, Leo used to drive himself there in a pickup truck and stay for days to minister to its rural population — and many in Saturday's crowd knew him personally. Among them was Rev. Kevin Noriega, a local priest ordained by the future pope, then known as Bishop Robert Prevost, in 2018. "There is enormous hope and emotion today," Noriega said. "People are eager to experience this Holy Mass … because after so much time they will be able to see their bishop — 'Father Robert,' as they used to call him — now as the Holy Father."
Speaking at the parish shortly after arrival, Leo said he felt "great joy" at being able to visit the small town again. "It is like a very big dream that the Lord has allowed this servant to come here," he said.
In his homily, drawn from the parable of the persistent widow, Leo spoke of the hardships of Andean life — families forced to leave their homeland for the coastal cities, villages emptying as birth rates fall, and the struggle to share the land's resources fairly. "In the face of so many difficulties, we may be tempted to give in to discouragement, resentment or even violence. Yet this will never lead to progress and peace," he said. "Selfishness, injustice and evil are not overcome by brutality, but by prayer, patience and perseverance in denouncing what is wrong … while never losing trust in God."
He thanked the catechists who keep the faith alive in communities that often go without a priest, and commended the farmers, shopkeepers and small business owners who, he said, put their God-given talents at the service of their communities. "Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord knows the paths you travel, your hardships, your worries and the challenges you face," he said. "When strength is lacking, he is your nourishment. When discouragement arises, it is he who rekindles hope."
Before the final blessing, Leo returned to the question Jesus asks at the end of the parable — "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" — and answered it himself: "I know that if Jesus decides to come to Santa Cruz, he will find faith. Thank you for your witness. Thank you for your faithfulness to the Church."
The pope returned to Chiclayo on Saturday afternoon. The visit to Peru is the last and most personal leg of his 12-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, which Reuters reports has drawn record crowds of some 12 million people — just one month after the 71-year-old pope underwent surgery for lung cancer. On Sunday, his penultimate day in Peru, he travels to Cusco, the former Inca capital, and Pucallpa, a gateway to the Amazon jungle, where he will meet representatives of Indigenous groups. The tour ends Monday with a visit to a shelter for elderly people.
Sources: Reuters, "Pope Leo visits remote Andes town on special stop of Peru tour" by Yara Nardi and Joshua McElwee (Nov. 14, 2026, full text verified via SRN News); Holy See Press Office, "Rite of the Coronation of the Immaculate Virgin in the Cathedral of Saint Mary" and "Departure from Chiclayo and Arrival in Santa Cruz de Succhabamba, Holy Mass on the esplanade of Santa Cruz de Succhabamba" (Nov. 14, 2026); National Catholic Register (CNA), "Pope Leo at Santa Cruz Mass: Never Lose Trust in God" (Nov. 14, 2026, full text verified). Crowd figures are Vatican estimates; poverty figures are from Peru's state statistics office as reported by Reuters.
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