Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Peru to Welcome Pope Leo With Hymn Honoring Slain Nun
Peru is preparing a special song for Pope Leo XIV’s visit in November.
The song honors a Catholic nun named Maria Agustina Rivas, who was called Aguchita.
Shining Path rebels killed her in 1990 while she was helping people in Peru’s remote Amazon region.
The Vatican later declared that she was killed because of her Catholic faith.
A youth choir named after Aguchita will sing the song.
The song uses Andean musical rhythms and is about walking together as brothers and sisters.
It was chosen in a national competition about unity.
Pope Leo once lived and worked as a missionary in Peru.
Peru will welcome Pope Leo XIV from November 11 to 16 with a hymn honoring missionary Maria Agustina Rivas.
Rivas, known as Aguchita, was killed by Shining Path rebels in 1990 while doing humanitarian work in Peru’s Amazon region.
The hymn, “Leon, Hermano del Camino,” combines Andean rhythms and will be performed by the Aguchita youth choir.
The song won a national competition seeking a hymn symbolizing unity ahead of the pope’s visit.
Pope Leo worked as a missionary in Peru for decades and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015.
- Who
- Pope Leo XIV, the Aguchita youth choir, and the memory of missionary Maria Agustina Rivas are central to the event.
- What
- Peru will welcome Pope Leo XIV with a hymn honoring Rivas, a nun killed by Shining Path rebels.
- When
- The pope’s visit is scheduled for November 11 to 16.
- Where
- The visit will take place in Peru; Rivas was killed in Peru’s remote Amazon region.
- Why
- The hymn is intended to honor Rivas, celebrate Pope Leo’s connection to Peru, and symbolize national unity.
Unity and remembrance
Political and historical tensions
Meaning of Aguchita’s legacy
Unity and remembrance
Church representatives and choir members present Aguchita as a missionary who sacrificed her life while serving poor and vulnerable people.
Political and historical tensions
The article notes that her killing occurred amid a wider conflict in which Shining Path sought to pressure communities into supporting its cause.
Fujimori legacy during the visit
Unity and remembrance
President Keiko Fujimori has praised her father’s role in defeating the Shining Path insurgency, a position linked to restoring order.
Political and historical tensions
Alberto Fujimori’s legacy remains divisive because of corruption and human rights abuses committed during his rule.
- Hymn
- “Leon, Hermano del Camino,” translated as “Leo, Brother on the Journey”
- Honored missionary
- Maria Agustina Rivas, known as Aguchita
- Year of killing
- 1990
- Pope’s visit
- November 11–16
- Choir
- The Aguchita youth choir
- Pope’s Peru connection
- Pope Leo first arrived in Peru in 1985 and became a Peruvian citizen in 2015
- Conflict toll
- An estimated 69,000 people were killed or disappeared in Peru’s conflict from 1980 to 2000