Worshippers arrived before dawn in Chiclayo, where the pontiff served as bishop from 2015 to 2023.

Thousands of Catholics gathered before dawn Friday in Pimentel, near the northern Peruvian city of Chiclayo, ahead of a Mass led by Pope Leo XIV, whose years as bishop of the diocese have given the visit particular significance for the city.

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Long queues formed at the Pimentel grounds as worshippers arrived for the open-air celebration. Admission is free, as previously announced by Edinson Farfán, bishop of the Diocese of Chiclayo, a decision that helped draw large crowds.

The Mass carries special significance for Chiclayo, where Leo XIV, then known as Robert Francis Prevost, served as bishop from 2015 to 2023, before becoming head of the Catholic Church.

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The pontiff was scheduled to depart from Callao Air Base at 7:40 a.m. and land at Lieutenant Colonel Pedro Ruiz Gallo Air Base in Chiclayo before heading to Pimentel for the celebration.

After the Mass, Leo XIV was scheduled to make a private visit to the San Óscar A. Romero Chapel, where he would greet those present. He was also due to meet bishops, priests, members of religious orders, seminarians, synodal teams and pastoral councils at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Peace.

The pope’s program also included a meeting with representatives of the university community at the Catholic University of Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo.

Leo XIV’s visit to Chiclayo is scheduled to continue on Nov. 14 with a Mass at the Cathedral of Santa María, featuring the rite of the Coronation of the Immaculate Virgin.

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