Chiclayo – On Sunday, 9 August, Monsignor Edgard Rimaycuna, personal secretary to Pope Leo XIV, presided over Mass in his hometown in Chiclayo, on Peru’s northern coast, specifically in La Victoria neighborhood where he grew up and where he reunited with his family.
At 11 a.m., he went to the Cathedral of St Mary of Chiclayo to celebrate Mass together with Father Vincent Ventura, parish priest of the community, and Deacon Leonardo Rivera. The cathedral is a place rich in memories for Edgard Rimaycuna: he served there as parish vicar from 2015 to 2017, before leaving for Rome to pursue studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute. He was therefore warmly welcomed by the parishioners, who were delighted by the arrival of “Father Edgard”.
In his welcome address, he thanked the assembly: “I thank everyone for this welcome; the Lord wanted us to receive this encouragement together with the parishioners,” he said, before conveying “warm greetings and a special blessing” from the Holy Father, according to the local Church’s social media channels. He urged the faithful to continue praying for Pope Leo XIV, for his health and ministry, and for the preparation of the apostolic visit he will make in November.
The Vatican confirmed on 5 August that Pope Leo XIV will travel to Lima, Chiclayo, Cusco and Pucallpa from 11 to 17 November, as part of a trip that will also take him to Uruguay and Argentina. The Diocese of Chiclayo holds particular significance for the Pope, who served as its bishop for eight years, from 2015 to 2023.
In his homily, Edgard Rimaycuna stressed that God always offers his closeness and invites his children not to be afraid, but to remain calm and trust in him. He explained that God acts silently, not necessarily through great signs, but through small everyday experiences, through the words of a loved one, a prayer or an unexpected lesson that emerges in the midst of daily life. He encouraged the community to recognize God’s presence even in the simplest circumstances of life and to turn to the Lord in moments of fear, in order to receive comfort and strength.
In the evening, Edgard Rimaycuna presided over another celebration in the parish of San José Obrero, in La Victoria, attended by a large crowd. This is another place filled with memories for the Pope’s personal secretary, as it was there that he celebrated his first Mass in 2014, shortly after his priestly ordination.
During his previous visit, in August 2025, Father Edgard had presented San José Obrero parish with a papal mitre as a sign of the Pontiff’s closeness. The parish is also home to the chapel of St Óscar Romero, which was recently renovated, and the faithful of La Victoria hope that Pope Leo XIV will visit it during his trip to Chiclayo next November.
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