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The mission in Peru that shaped a Pope

In 1985, Father Robert Prevost - now Pope Leo XIV - arrived in Chulucanas for his first missionary assignment. H茅ctor Camacho was his altar boy.

In 1985, Father Robert Prevost arrived in the small northern Peruvian town of Chulucanas for his first missionary assignment. It was a rural community with unpaved streets, widespread poverty and frequent flooding caused by the El Ni帽o weather phenomenon. For local boys like H茅ctor Camacho, becoming an altar boy was one of the few after-school activities available. Prevost was the first priest H茅ctor ever served at the altar.
H茅ctor Camacho tells Stefania Gozzer about Pope Leo XIV's first days in Peru and the friendship that began there. They have remained in touch ever since. Today, H茅ctor's daughter, Mildred, is Prevost's goddaughter and bears the name of Prevost's late mother.

Release date:

9 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Sun 8 Nov 2026 17:00GMT
  • Sun 15 Nov 2026 08:48GMT

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