Residents of Eten, a town in northern Peru, are hoping Pope Leo will renew efforts to secure Vatican recognition of a reported Eucharistic miracle believed to have occurred nearly four centuries ago.
The Pope is scheduled to return to Chiclayo on Friday, where he previously served as bishop, during his first South American tour since becoming pontiff in 2025. His visit follows stops in Argentina and Uruguay.
People in Eten say the child Jesus appeared twice in 1649 in a consecrated host, the wafer used in the Catholic Eucharist and believed by Catholics to become the body of Christ.
Jesús León, coordinator of a Catholic group in Eten, said residents want the Pope to recognise the town as the location of Peru’s only Eucharistic miracle.
He said the reported event, which took place 377 years ago, was still awaiting recognition from the Vatican.
Pope Leo Previously Served as Bishop of Chiclayo
Before becoming Pope, Leo was known as Robert Prevost and had spent decades working in Peru.
The Chicago-born missionary arrived in the country in 1985 and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015. He served as bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023.
During his time in the diocese, Prevost supported efforts to obtain Vatican recognition for the reported event in Eten.
In 2019, he presented Pope Francis with a proposal seeking recognition of the Eucharistic miracle. According to the Catholic Church in Chiclayo, the submission included historical records and thousands of testimonies from people expressing their faith in the event.
León said Prevost had worked extensively to advance the recognition campaign.
Prevost Supported Masses and Sanctuary Plans
Witnesses said Prevost celebrated Masses honouring the reported apparition while serving as bishop.
He also secured more than 11 hectares of land for the Diocese of Chiclayo at the location of the church where residents believe the miracle occurred.
The diocese planned to use the site to construct what would become Peru’s first Eucharistic sanctuary.
However, efforts to develop the location have been complicated by disagreements over ownership and religious authority.
Dispute Emerges Over the Historic Church Site
A group that separated from the diocese has established a small chapel on part of the remains of the old church. The Divine Child of Miracles chapel is managed by a local committee, which maintains that the facility has existed for decades.
The chapel attracts visitors interested in the reported Eten miracle.
The group and the Diocese of Chiclayo have been involved in disputes over control of the land, the authority to conduct religious services at the site and custody of an image associated by the group with the reported apparition.
Much of the original church has disappeared beneath the ground.
Archaeologist Jorge Alberto Centurión, who led excavations at the location in 2009 and 2010, said his team discovered remains of the church entrance and evidence of burials inside the structure.
Vatican Recognition Requires Extensive Investigation
Official recognition of a Eucharistic miracle is uncommon and generally involves a lengthy investigation by the Catholic Church.
Such recognition indicates that the Vatican considers an event worthy of public devotion. It can also lead to increased religious pilgrimages and visitors to the recognised location, potentially benefiting the surrounding community.
In May 2025, the Vatican recognised a reported Eucharistic miracle associated with a church in India, following 12 years of investigations into an event said to have occurred there in 2013.
Residents of Eten are now hoping Pope Leo’s return to Chiclayo will bring renewed attention to their own recognition campaign.
