Pope Leo XIV’s altar boys remember their time in Peru in the eighties

When Héctor Camacho first heard that the new Pope was “a certain Robert Prevost,” he couldn’t believe it. “That’s my friend!” he exclaimed excitedly. Four decades ago, that young Augustinian priest with a big smile and a foreign accent had arrived in the town of Chulucanas, in northern Peru, to begin his pastoral mission.

Nobody imagined then that “Father Roberto,” as everyone called him and who would mark an entire generation of altar boys and young people from the parish in Chulucanas—most of them happily married today—would one day become Pope Leo XIV.

“Father Roberto, more than a priest, was a friend, an envoy from God. He came very young to the north of our country, and we were struck by how such a young person could be so dedicated to Christ and the simplicity of the people,” recalls Héctor, in an interview with ACI Prensa.

“We here are townspeople, folksy people, and that made us see him as a leader in the Church. We believed in him, and we continue to believe, even more so now that God has allowed us to have him as Pope,” he adds.

In those years—between 1985 and 1986—the young priest Robert Prevost carried out his first pastoral mission in the Sagrada Familia parish of Chulucanas, where he accompanied the faithful in difficult times, marked by the rains of the El Niño phenomenon.

“The Augustinian fathers did a wonderful job: they reached the most humble people with clothing, food, prayer and accompaniment. That was Father Roberto’s concern: to keep us close to God and Jesus,” says Camacho.

A guide and friend of young people

For many, the now Pope Leo XIV was the first priest who helped them see faith as something alive and close. Rodolfo Yépez Castro, who was also an altar boy, reminds ACI Prensa that “he was a guide for all youth, for all life. He is a friend, and he is also the Holy Father.”

“He was always looking out for us: he asked where everyone was, how we were doing. He even helped us financially. Sometimes he paid our monthly tuition or asked about our grades. He had that trust and that possibility of helping us,” he says.

But beyond material support, Yépez emphasizes his spirit of service and simplicity: “If there was rain and it was time to help with boots, he put them on and helped. He was a simple person, without airs of superiority. He waited for us all to be served and sat with us. He was not one of those priests who ate separately. He was always with us.”

“Father Roberto touched your shoulder, shook your hand, joked a little. There was respect, but also friendship,” he remembers.

The priest who changed lives

Fernando García and Martín Feijoo were also witnesses of that young and missionary spirit. “From the beginning, when he – at that time Brother Roberto, later a priest – arrived, you could tell that he was a very charismatic person. As he was young, he got along a lot with our Christian youth group,” García tells ACI Prensa.

“He would meet us on Saturday nights. We, being young, wanted to go out to the club or have fun, but he organized the meetings right at that time, so that we wouldn’t end up in the wrong places. That’s how he took care of us,” adds Feijoo.

They both remember that Father Roberto encouraged healthy activities, from prayer meetings to walks and plays. “He took us to the beach in his 4×4 truck, we shared food, we played, all healthy. On the way we played music with recorders and cassettes. It was very fun,” says García.

“From that experience with Father Roberto, I wanted to be a priest. Many of us felt that calling,” confesses Feijoo.

An indelible mark

The testimonies coincide in highlighting that the now Pope Leo XIV lived in Chulucanas with great simplicity and joy. “When Saturdays and Sundays arrived, the church was filled with people. He seemed very happy, because he saw the people full of love for Christ and faith. Faith was a word that he always used,” remembers Héctor Camacho.

The former altar boy also recounts his compadre’s deep Marian devotion: “Father Roberto was always very devoted to the Rosary and the Virgin Mary. I saw him many times praying and celebrating the Rosary with great fervor.”

Years later, when Father Prevost was appointed director of the San Carlos and San Marcelo Major Seminary in the city of Trujillo, Camacho maintained a close relationship with him.

“I asked him to be godfather of baptism of my daughter Mildred—name she bears in honor of her mother—and accepted with great affection. He participated in the celebration and stayed with us until one in the morning. It was a very special moment. “Having Father Roberto—now the Pope—as a compadre is an enormous gift.”

Today, the altar boys of the 80s do not hide their excitement at seeing their friend, Father Roberto, become the Pope of the universal Church. “I am immensely happy and, at the same time, sad. Happy because he is now Pope, but sad because we feel that we are losing him a little because of his great mission. I only ask that God protect him and take care of him,” says Camacho.

“If he came to Peru, I would love to be able to see him, even from afar. If he decides to come to Chulucanas, it would be a great joy. Chulucanas is important because here he took his first steps as a priest. Here he began to develop, to exercise his vocation,” adds Rodolfo Yépez.