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A homecoming for Pope Leo in Peru
In Chiclayo, a papal visit brings together faith, friendship and memories of years spent serving local communities.
Chiclayo, Peru · 13 November 2026
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For most visitors, meeting the Pope would be an extraordinary experience. In Chiclayo, northern Peru, many people were also welcoming back someone they already knew. Pope Leo XIV returned to his former diocese on Friday 13 November.
Born in Chicago as Robert Prevost, he spent around twenty years in Peru as a missionary and bishop. His work connected him with communities facing poverty and difficult times. On Friday, he celebrated Mass outside Chiclayo, returning as the leader of the Catholic Church to a place where he had served locally.
Reuters reported that some people had waited overnight, while others arrived early with the Vatican’s yellow-and-white flags. Leo thanked the people of Chiclayo for their affection and support. The welcome showed how relationships built over many years can survive a dramatic change in someone’s public role.
Peru is on South America’s Pacific side. Chiclayo belongs to its northern coastal region. The Pope’s wider journey, which has also taken him to Uruguay and Argentina, offers a chance to discover different Latin American communities through their faith and daily lives.
Before the trip, the Vatican described its purpose in terms of encounter and unity. The published programme includes further Peruvian stops in Lima, Cuzco and Pucallpa. These are scheduled visits, rather than events that have all already happened.
There is an interesting question behind this homecoming: what makes somewhere feel like home? It may be where we were born, but it can also be where we work, learn a language and share other people’s difficulties.
For young readers, Chiclayo offers a reminder that international visits are about more than official speeches. They can reveal the lasting human connections between people from very different countries.
- homecoming
- retour chez soi
- diocese
- diocèse
- to serve
- servir
- overnight
- pendant la nuit
- affection
- affection
- encounter
- rencontre
- lasting
- durable
Original B2 learning article. Reporting sources: Associated Press — Chiclayo homecoming, 13 November 2026 · Reuters — Peru welcomes Pope Leo, 13 November 2026 · Vatican News — Journey programme, 3 November 2026 ·
Image credits
A homecoming for Pope Leo in Peru. Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass near Chiclayo, Peru, on 13 November 2026. Photograph © Vatican Media, from the official Vatican.va gallery. Reproduced unchanged under the Dicastery’s provision for institutional Church and related websites (maximum 10 photographs per month).