On Saturday, February 24, 2024, in a Mass at San Andrés Cathedral in Huaycán, Peru, the Most Rev. Jorge Enrique Izaguirre Rafael, C.S.C., was installed as the new bishop of the Diocese of Chosica in Peru. His appointment by Pope Francis to succeed the Most Rev. Norbert Klemens Strotmann Hoppe, M.S.C., was announced on December 27, 2023.

“Having taken over officially as Bishop of Chosica, I am very excited to be able to serve as a Pastor of a local Church in a land with a mission so dear to all of us, religious men and women of Holy Cross, especially in our union with the beautiful people here,” said Bishop Izaguirre.

Bishop Izaguirre is the second bishop in the history of the diocese, which is where the principal ministries of the Congregation of Holy Cross in Peru are located, including El Señor de la Esperanza Parish, Fe y Alegría 25 School, YancanaHuasy (a center for disabled children and their families), Family Rosary, and the Pastoral Institute of the Family (INFAM).

Learn more about the history of Holy Cross in Peru

In fact, the Congregation’s presence in the Diocese of Chosica predates the establishment of the diocese, as the first Holy Cross religious arrived in Canto Grande in 1977, when it was still part of the Archdiocese of Lima, to found what is today one of the largest parishes in Peru.

The Holy Cross Family was well represented at the installation, with many sisters, brothers, and priests present, including Fr. Alfredo Hernández, C.S.C., Superior of the Congregation’s District of Chile-Peru, and Fr. James Lackenmier, C.S.C., who represented the United States Province of Priests and Brothers, which oversees the Congregation’s mission in Peru.

“With great joy, the Diocese of Chosica received its new Bishop, Jorge Izaguirre,” said Fr. Hernández. “The Congregation of Holy Cross shares this joy, and we ask God to accompany and guide our brother. Our prayers accompany Bishop Jorge in his service to the Church. Together, we will continue working to announce the Kingdom of God in the world.”

A native son of Peru, Bishop Izaguirre was born on January 14, 1968, in Casma, Ancash. After studying theology in Chile, he professed Final Vows in the Congregation on January 14, 1996, and was ordained on February 15, 1997. After Ordination, Fr. Izaguirre served as Assistant Pastor at Santa Cruz Parish in Chimbote, Peru. In 1999, he took charge of the house of formation in Lima. In 2004, Fr. Izaguirre went to the United States to study at Weston Jesuit School of Theology and Boston College, where he earned his Master's in Theology.

He returned to Peru and in 2007 became pastor at El Señor de la Esperanza Parish in Canto Grande, which is part of the Diocese of Chosica. Fr. Izaguirre was appointed to the General Council of the Congregation in 2010. While continuing to serve as the Fourth Assistant, he was appointed in 2013 as the new Director of Formation and Superior of the International House of Formation in Santiago.

Read more about the work Holy Cross is doing in Peru

It was while serving in that capacity that on May 11, 2015, Pope Francis appointed him the Bishop Prelate of the Territorial Prelature of Chuquibamba. He was ordained on July 10, 2015, in a Mass outside of San Miguel Cathedral in Camaná. Bishop Strotmann, who he now replaces in the Diocese of Chosica, presided at the Mass and was the principal consecrator.

Bishop Izaguirre's eight years as Bishop of Chuquibamba have been marked by his closeness to the people and synodal leadership. He has started several pastoral initiatives, especially with young people. In the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, Bishop Izaguirre has served in various roles, including Bishop of Prison Ministry, elected President of the Episcopal Commission for Social Action and Human Mobility (2017-2025), member of the Board of Caritas of Peru, and member of the Episcopal Commissions for the Protection of Minors and for Consecrated Life.

“As members of the Congregation of Holy Cross, we are humbled and proud that the Holy Father has chosen one of our own to be the next bishop of the Diocese of Chosica,” said Br. Paul Bednarczyk, C.S.C., Superior General. “Bishop Jorge is a shepherd who ministers with the heart of Jesus in his closeness to the poor and most vulnerable. We promise him our fraternal support and prayers as he continues his ministry as shepherd of God’s People in Chosica.”