His election sparked “joyful disbelief” among his Augustinian brothers. “He’s someone who walks with people, who brings them along on the journey,” said Father Joseph Farrell, Vicar General for the Augustinians North America circumscription. “That’s what mission is.”

Father Prevost’s leadership within the Augustinian Order was deeply formative. In 1999, he was elected Provincial Prior of the Augustinian Province of “Mother of Good Counsel” in Chicago. Just two and a half years later, he was elected Prior General of the worldwide Order of Saint Augustine—a role he held for two consecutive terms, from 2001 to 2013. During that time, he oversaw Augustinian communities in nearly 50 countries and promoted their educational, pastoral, and missionary work (Vatican News).

Father Eduardo Martín Clemens, who served with him in Trujillo, said he embodied “the pragmatism of a North American and the open heart of Latin America.” He was known for a pastoral approach to canon law and a theology shaped by Augustine’s vision of unity and humility.

In his first public words, Pope Leo XIV quoted St. Augustine: “For you, I am a bishop; with you, I am a Christian.”

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“Bishop Prevost was never the kind of bishop who gave orders from behind a desk,” said Janinna Sesa Córdova, Director of Caritas Chiclayo from 2014 to 2024. “He was the face of Christ, the one who went out into the mud to help his people.” 

“He has left an indelible mark on the hearts of Chiclayo,” Córdova said. “Because he was always there—in the floods, the pandemic, the celebrations, and the sorrows. A bishop of the people. A true shepherd.”

He was a hands-on bishop, ready to “come out in boots and a poncho,” said Professor Llanos, a layman from Opus Dei who also worked with then Bishop Prevost, while “when it was time for Mass, he was impeccably vested — a symbol of his ecclesial balance and reverence.”

The fact that as the country was locking down during the pandemic, he walked across the city carrying the Blessed Sacrament, much like Pope Francis had done in St. Peter’s Square during that historic blessing to the world in March 2020, “made it clear that all his charitable endeavors were rooted in Christ,” said Córdova, who helped him coordinate most of the Church’s charitable campaigns at the time.

In 2023, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Prevost as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. The Dicastery is responsible for identifying and supporting episcopal leadership around the world—essentially helping to discern who becomes a bishop—while the Commission serves as a bridge between the Holy See and the Church in Latin America, fostering communion and cooperation across the continent.

His elevation to the College of Cardinals that same year solidified his role as one of Pope Francis’ most trusted collaborators.

Cardinal Prevost’s diplomacy and pastoral sensitivity were particularly evident during the Synod on Synodality assemblies in 2023 and 2024, where his presence left a lasting impression on many of the participants.

José Manuel De Urquidi, a lay delegate from Mexico and founder of the Juan Diego Network, a platform that amplifies Catholic voices in Spanish-speaking communities, said Cardinal Prevost brought an “incredible calm and attention to the bishops, especially those coming from remote or under-resourced dioceses.” He added, “He cares deeply about people—especially about the missionaries from all over the world.”