CHICLAYO, Peru (AFP) — Thousands of Catholics gathered on Saturday for an outdoor Mass in the Peruvian city of Chiclayo to celebrate the election of Pope Leo XIV, who for years lived, ate and prayed among them.

The first American head of the Catholic Church spent nine years in the commercial hub along the Pacific coast, where he is claimed as one of their own.

Chiclayo “is a simple town that he loved deeply and that he continues to carry in his heart,” Chiclayo Bishop Edinson Farfan told a packed congregation at St. Mary’s Cathedral.

Pope Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, first set foot in Peru four decades ago as a missionary.

He returned to the city in 2014 and the following year was named bishop, becoming a naturalized Peruvian citizen in the process.

He remained there until he was summoned to Rome by his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, in 2023.

In his first address from the Vatican on Thursday, Leo briefly greeted his “beloved diocese of Chiclayo” in Spanish and paid homage to his “faithful people.”

Seven thousand miles away, many in the city could hardly believe “el obispo” is the new pope.

“There are no words to explain the emotion, the feeling that our pope has been here, close to us,” said Rosa Maria Bernadese, a 57-year-old teaching assistant, who joined the celebration.

Amid a sea of yellow balloons, some faithful waved pictures from Leo’s time as a bishop. One held a sign that read: “Papa Leo XIV, Chiclayo will always be your home.”

“Papa amigo, Chiclayo esta contigo (Pope, my friend, Chiclayo is with you),” they chanted as applause broke out.

Bishop Farfan described Leo as “deeply sensitive to social justice” and praised his “big heart” and closeness to the poor, migrants, refugees and “those who suffer.”

“The city of friendship, the city of the Eucharist, accompanied the Holy Father Leo XIV in his pilgrimage so that he may now accompany and guide the universal Church from Chiclayo, from Latin America, the continent of hope for the whole world,” he added.