PUERTO MALDONADO, Peru (RNS) — Pope Francis’ trip to Peru a year ago included a visit to a biodiverse region, where a Swiss priest has for decades sought to bring global attention to environmental and social devastation caused by illegal gold mining.

Despite years of effort — and the pope’s visit — little has changed, said Xavier Arbex.

“It’s so frustrating, to the point that I almost do not want to receive journalists anymore,” the 75-year-old priest told Religion News Service recently.

On arriving in Peru in January 2018, the pope focused on his support for environmental preservation.

“Forests, rivers and streams are exploited mercilessly, then left barren and unusable,” Francis said. People, too, he said, are “used until someone gets tired of them, then abandoned.”

The pope thanked Arbex for his “example” and social work with the young victims of mining.

Arbex said he has fond memories of the pope’s visit.

“I will keep an uplifting memory,” he said.

But a year later, Arbex is frustrated that little has changed with regard to illegal mining. The region produced 13 metric tons of gold in 2017, according to the National Society of Mining, Oil and Energy.

“Not even a single study group or environmental impact project was created here at a local institution,” he said. “I haven’t seen any effects of the papal visit.”

Still, the pope’s visit did benefit Arbex’s work with children.

Because of the publicity around the visit, Arbex was able to raise funds to renovate the ice cream parlor, which helps support the work of  El Principito.

“At least the children’s home is better known now,” he said.

Joseph McAuley is an assistant editor of America.