Pope Francis

It was the final day of his three-country South American tour.

Francis drew cheers when he opened his remarks by saying he couldn't have left Paraguay without visiting Banado Norte, "without being on YOUR land."

He was visiting the country's most important pilgrimage site, where thousands of his fellow Argentines joined with hundreds of thousands of local faithful to welcome Latin America's first pope.

"Being here with you makes me feel at home," Francis said in his homily. 

People are hoping for a glimpse of Latin America's first pope returning to his home soil for a Mass dedicated to the family.

Many pilgrims spent the night outdoors, and some walked for miles to reach the park on Guayaquil's northern outskirts where the crowd sang hymns and sought pockets of shade to keep cool amid the scorching sun and high humidity.

"I'm tired. I'm hungry, I haven't slept but I'm also full of emotion and joy in my heart," said Vicente Huilcatoma, a 47-year-old retired police officer who walked 25 miles (40 kilometers) to reach Samanes Park.