Cajamarca has lost the highest number of people to internal migration, with 729,000 people born there now living elsewhere in Peru.
In his sermon, Pope Leo thanked those who had made the journey to him and emphasised the importance of never losing heart, despite life’s difficulties.
Santa Cruz is within the Diocese of Chiclayo, where Pope Leo served as bishop from 2015 to 2023. During his tenure, he visited Santa Cruz several times a year to minister to the town’s rural population.
On Saturday he returned by helicopter, where he was greeted by singing and cheering. He later did a tour in a popemobile, where he waved to people who had travelled from across the region to see him.
Speaking at a local parish on Saturday, the Pope said he felt “joy” at being able to visit the small town once again.
“It is like a very big dream that the Lord has allowed this servant to come here,” he said.
Rev. Kevin Noriega, who was ordained in 2018 by the then-bishop, told Reuters the visit had brought “enormous hope and emotion” to Santa Cruz.
He said: “People are eager to experience this Holy Mass … because after so much time they will be able to see their bishop – ‘Father Robert,’ as they used to call him – now as the Holy Father.”
Peru is the longest stop on the first tour of Latin America by the leader of the Catholic church, who was elected in May 2025.
The 12-day trip has included stops in Argentina and Uruguay, but his time in Peru carries personal significance.
The US-born pope not only lived in Peru for long periods between 1985 and 2023 but also became a citizen of the country in 2015, forging close ties with local communities.
The pontiff is set to leave Chiclayo on Sunday, when he will head to Cusco, and then on to a Peruvian sector of the Amazon rainforest. His tour of the region will conclude on Monday, at which point Pope Leo will return to Rome.