We are community of Consecrated Brothers, Sisters, Priests and Families growing and working together at the service of the New Evangelization. Koinonia John the Baptist was founded in Italy in 1979 by Fr. Ricardo Arganaraz.

Since 2010, we have been working in the rural Mission of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Umzimkulu Diocese – South Africa where I became the Pastor and Rector of the Cathedral Church. From the very beginning, we realized that in addition to pastoral work and evangelization, we needed to get involved in social work due to the pervasive poverty and its associated problems.

Embarking on this extraordinary journey, we founded the Koinonia Orphans Project (KOP), a beacon of hope for over 800 children in need. Through the dedicated commitment of 30 caregivers, who support them, we ensure that every child receives the nurturing and care they deserve.

But our mission extends beyond mere provision. With our “Adoption at a Distance” program, we are offering to children but personalized guidance and mentorship. Later, we understood that this was not enough. To address the root of the problem, we needed focus more on education. Therefore, we started the Lourdes Educational Center (LEC) to assist with a better education. The first project involved creating mobile computer classes. We secured a sponsor to purchase laptops, allowing teachers to reach even places and schools without electricity. Subsequently, we expanded our programs to include English classes and other subjects needed by the local schools. Nowadays, we have eight teachers who serve more than 600 students in the Mission and surrounding schools.

Through this work, we realized that we need to do more to help local people to understand better the Catholic Church’s faith, teaching and spiritualy. Local people are frequently confined to environments that limit their options to the few activities available in their villages, where the absence of higher education and jobs leaves them in a very dejected condition.

By the grace of God, we have been blessed with almost 80 acres of land for our Koinonia Retreat and Educational Center. The location is strategically close to Pretoria and Johannesburg, two important cities in South Africa, providing easy access to urban resources and opportunities.

We have the vision, the land, the people, and the energy to bring this project to life. However, we now require financial support to build the necessary facilities to accommodate 40 people. These facilities will include living quarters, a hall, a kitchen and dining room, and a chapel.