16:00 | Vatican City (The Vatican), Jul. 1.
Piura region resident Mildred Gianella Camacho Dioses shared an emotional reunion with her godfather,
Pope Leo XIV, at the Vatican.
During the meeting, she presented him with an invitation to visit Chulucanas—a city in Peru's northern Piura region that marked an important chapter in the pastoral life of the current Supreme Pontiff.
Via social media, Camacho expressed the joy of reuniting with the man she considers her godfather.
She said her trip's main purpose was to personally deliver an invitation for him to return to Chulucanas, where he had reaffirmed his religious vocation while serving as an Augustinian missionary.
The young woman also recalled Father McKniff, a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, whose remains rest at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Chulucanas, where Robert Prevost first arrived during his pastoral mission in northern Peru.
In addition to the invitation, Camacho Dioses presented the Holy Father with a painting specially created for the occasion.
According to her, she began planning the gift on May 8, 2025, the day the "Habemus Papam" announcement was made.
The young Peruvian woman explained that the artwork was conceived as a gift for the man she considers her godfather, regardless of his investiture as Pope.
In her post, the Piura resident thanked those who supported her in making the trip possible.
Likewise, Camacho Dioses asked the faithful to keep His Holiness—born Robert Prevost—in their prayers.
"Joy is meant to be shared," she wrote, expressing her happiness at having represented Chulucanas during the meeting, which she described as one of the most significant moments of her life.
The photograph of the reunion between the goddaughter and the Holy Father has sparked numerous reactions on social media.
Hundreds of users highlighted the bond that ties the pontiff to Chulucanas and Peru's Piura region, where he carried out part of his missionary work before assuming the Catholic Church's highest office.
As is known, His Holiness was born in the United States but also holds Peruvian nationality.
Published: 7/1/2026