Missionaries travel to our sister parish in Piura, Peru. Piura is a city in northwestern Peru located north of the Sechura Desert on the Piura River. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. Its population was 484,475 as of 2017 and is the 7th most populous city in Peru. The city is located in the central eastern part of the Piura Region, 981 kilometers from the country's capital, Lima and is near to the border with Ecuador. In fact, Piura is affectionately nicknamed "the city of eternal heat."
It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the third Spanish city in South America and first in Peru, under the name of San Miguel de Piura, in July or August of 1532. Piura declared its independence from Spain on January 4th, 1821, a few months before Peru gained its independence on July 28th, 1821. It is the commercial and administrative center of the Department of Piura.
St. John Vianney has had a relationship with our sister parish, Santisimo Sacramento, since 2015. Santisimo Sacramento is led by pastor Fr. Joe Uhen, who has served the people of Piura for since 1993. Over that time, Santisimo Sacramento's reach has grown exponentially. As mentioned, the country is over 90 percent Catholic, and faith is a constant in people's everyday lives. As of January 2025, Santisimo Sacramento boasts 38 chapels under its purview, spread across the region of Piura.