The Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ celebratory Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels offered for the election of new Pope Leo XIV on May 9 had a distinct Peruvian flavor.
Not only did Archbishop José H. Gomez welcome Jaime Casafranca, the consul general to Peru in Los Angeles who sat in the front pew during the Mass, but a purple-clad contingent from La Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros, a Peruvian ministry organization centered at nearby La Placita Church, was prominently in attendance as well.
The local Peruvian community was still buzzing about the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV — the man who had not too long ago been the humble shepherd of Peru’s Chiclayo Diocese. An American born in Chicago, he became a missionary in Peru for many years, being appointed the bishop of Chiclayo in 2014 by Pope Francis.
Because he served in Peru for many years — even choosing to become a Peruvian citizen — the country and larger community has claimed Pope Leo XIV as their own. Thus, why a strong Peruvian crowd showed up for the cathedral Mass.
One of those who attended was Ivonne Castro, who works at Christ the King Church in Hollywood. But she wasn’t just there as a supporter; she actually had spent time with Leo when he was a bishop in Peru. Her father was very involved in the local church and she attended Mass often at the cathedral and enjoyed then-Bishop Prevost’s homilies.
She even has a photo from when she asked Prevost for a special blessing after her son was born.
“I felt that he was going to become a pope,” Castro said, as she described watching the conclave on TV. “I had that feeling. I was waiting for that name, and when I heard the name, I couldn't believe it. I needed to hear twice or three times that the name was there, and it was amazing.”
Now that the dream has become a reality, and the man she knew before is now pope, she still feels the familiarity of his presence.
“It’s like my father is there,” Castro said. “I feel confident because I know him, and I’ve read a lot about him, and people are always talking so nicely about him. I have the confidence that he’s a good leader for our Church. He’s the leader that the Church needs at this moment.”
During the Mass, Carlos Zafra was seated to the right of the altar with his fellow Hermandad del Señor de los Milagros companions. As a Peruvian American himself, Zafra felt Leo’s experience in Peru would help him become a better pontiff.
“He knows the necessities of people in a non-developed country,” Zafra said. “He walked the streets over there. He was really close to his congregation. He has the better of both worlds and I think that’s a great combination.
“Hopefully he’ll be the people’s pope, and then using that experience, he will make better choices. He will speak for the ones that don’t have a voice. He’ll side with the ones in need.”
Zafra said when Cardinal Prevost was announced as pope, many in the local Peruvian community gathered to celebrate, complete with food and dancing.
“We Peruvians like to celebrate,” Zafra said. “We are super excited. We are a community with a lot of faith.
“Hopefully Pope [Leo] will visit here, and then we’ll visit Peru. We're hoping to have a chance to see him in person.”
As someone who was unable to attend the local celebration when Pope Leo XIV was elected, the Peruvian consul general said the Mass was something he couldn’t miss out on.
“The opportunity to come here was great,” Casafranca said. “It’s an important moment.”
When difficult times strike the country of Peru, Casafranca said they have a saying: “Fortunately, God is Peruvian.”
“And then we get some strength, and we go ahead in life,” he said.
The election of Pope Leo XIV may have lent some truth to the saying.
“He’s an intercultural person,” Casafranca said. “He crosses cultures, which is good. We need to cross cultures.”
During his homily, Archbishop Gomez noted the historical significance of the new pope being the 14th one to choose the name “Leo.”
“The first Leo was the first pope to be called ‘great,’ ” Archbishop Gomez said. “In a time of heresy, he fought for the truth about Jesus Christ and the dignity of the human person. The most recent Pope Leo, Leo XIII, was also a great defender of truth and human dignity in a time of confusion and revolution.
“So I’m praying that Pope Leo XIV will be courageous in confronting the challenges of our times.”
When the Mass was over, the Peruvian contingent gathered on the altar, crowding around a nearby standing portrait of Pope Leo XIV. The gathered group, which included Casafranca, Castro and Zafra, eventually called in Archbishop Gomez to pose for more pictures.
That familiarity the group had with one another is the same closeness that Castro said she felt with Pope Leo, and hopes others experience it also.
“That’s what people need,” she said. “They don’t need the Church that is far away. They need this welcoming friendship to our beliefs.”
