LA Archdiocese Mass for new Pope Leo XIV is a largely Peruvian affair
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.