Peru nursing home residents prepare for Pope Leo XIV's November visit

More than 60 residents of a nursing home in Callao, Peru, are counting down to a visit from Pope Leo XIV in November, an encounter many say they never expected to experience in their lifetime.

The home, located in Peru's oldest port, is run by the Little Sisters of the Abandoned Elderly. Its chapel features wooden pews and a statue of Our Lady of the Forsaken, venerated as a protector of the sick and poor. Nine nuns oversee the facility, assisted by volunteers and schoolchildren who visit to hear residents share their life stories. The oldest resident is 96.

Rosa Izquierdo, 70, who spent her life raising her younger siblings and later caring for her aging parents until their deaths, said the pontiff's visit brings her joy amid loneliness. "I will give the pope a hug and kiss his hand," she said. "It will make me happy."

Bethy del Carmen Pastor, 84, said the residents were deeply moved. "All of us – not just me – are truly impressed and moved, because we're going to meet the Pope face to face," she said.

Sister Maria Agripina, who leads the home, described the visit as an immense gift. "It really is a source of immense joy; we are very grateful to God and to the Holy Father for agreeing to come to our home," she said. "It's the smallest of homes, but the truth is that it's a tremendous gift from God; none of us would ever have imagined we'd be so blessed."

Residents have been practicing a dance routine to perform for the pope. One elderly woman was seen rehearsing, while another sat beside her walking frame.

Pope Leo XIV, 71, served as apostolic administrator in the area five years ago. His November tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru will mark his first visit to South America as pontiff.