Our Early History

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The community was founded in 1979 by Fr. Ricardo Argañaraz, an Argentinian priest. Following a powerful experience of the Holy Spirit, he withdrew in retreat to an abandoned settlement, called Camparmò, in the mountains of Vicenza. There he began a life devoted to prayer, manual work and study, and was soon joined by other brothers and sisters who shared his desire to consecrate their lives to the Lord.

In the solitude, characteristic of those early years, certain foundational elements were established for this new community. These included prayer, attentiveness to the Word of God, the experience of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, fraternal friendship, acceptance and welcome of brothers and sisters, openness in sharing and trust in the providential hand of God the Father. 

The community was officially founded on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 1st January 1979, during a pilgrimage to the ‘Holy House’ in Loreto. After the early years of complete solitude, the community gradually increased their pastoral activities, forming communities devoted to evangelisation and to the formation of evangelisers.