We feed, rehabilitate and love Argentina's forgotten

We’re slowly but surely getting there, with Hector’s help.  He is our man in charge of the grounds.  Many years ago, Fr Liam persuaded the city council to give him a large plot of land to build the homes.  That land used to be a dump.  Today it houses many abandoned people that are cared for in our Home.  There are also large fields around the house which are used to plant vegetables and fruit, keep hens and make honey.

We don’t just want our foundation to take hand-outs. But our ultimate aim is to be as self-sufficient as possible.

Currently we have: fruit trees (oranges, lemons, peaches, pineapples, bananas), vegetables (cabbage, spinach, carrots, potatoes, beetroot, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers), and we also keep hens for eggs.

Our latest proud moment was when Hector created his first batch of honey.  As our garden expands, we hope to start selling some of our excess produce. But for now, it’s sufficient to support the houses completely for fruit and veg during particular seasons.

Great progress has been made so far with the Bible garden – a beautiful garden behind the centre, where the residents and staff can relax.  We also hope that upon completion, this could be a visitor’s destination for local tourism, that can help raise awareness  and funds for our cause in the community.

The garden has a very important place in Scripture for it is intimately connected with the whole of salvation history.  It is the scene of the creation, the fall and the redemption of the human race.  When God had created man, the crown of his creative activity, it was in a garden that he chose to place him (Gen 2:8,15).

The garden theme occurs throughout the Bible, sometimes in the literal sense, at others  in a figurative sense.  Reflection on both of these approaches to the garden can enrich our appreciation of its significance and perhaps give us some insight into the role that the garden plays in God’s creation, and therefore in our own lives.