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An ideal place for recovery
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March 12, 2024There is “a miracle in every new beginning,” but there are also challenges to overcome. The newly established Farm of Hope, the first of its kind in North America, started on Country Road 61 in Violet five months ago. Fr. Jose Luiz, the president of the Farms of Hope, is now in Corpus Christi for a visit.
It is his third time in the United States: “I came eight years ago to get to know the diocese,” he said. He noticed the great need for this kind of long-term holistic recovery from addiction. The first conversations with the bishop about establishing a Farm of Hope started back then. His second visit brought him to Washington, D.C., to attend a conference. He is pleased to see the progress the three missionaries, Cassiano Silva, Ayres Rocha, and Juliano Meirelles, have made. “It is an ideal place here - it is accessible, yet remote enough, and in proximity to the SOLT sisters.”
“It takes about a year to establish a Farm,” Fr. Luiz shared. Initially, the people need to get to know the project, its method, and the missionaries who visit many parishes and groups. And there are new plans for work and expansion: while the chicken coop is already in construction, they plan to add sheep and a multi-purpose hall to receive visitors.
There are 160 Farms of Hope worldwide, in 27 countries. Those in South America are in great demand, as well as those in different African countries, where treatment options are often lacking. “We have long waiting lists in Mozambique and Angola,” says Fr. Luiz.
The farms in different European countries are flourishing but are less crowded than those in South America. In Asia, there are Farms of Hope in the Philippines and one in Thailand, which has just opened.
Fr. Jose Luiz is now serving his second term as president of the Farms. Born in Lagarto in the northeastern state of Sergipe, he spent some time as a volunteer on the Farm of Hope in the state of Sao Paulo before entering the seminary, and he decided to become a priest to serve the Family of Hope. Now, the community has its own seminary, with currently seven seminarians.
While lay missionaries lead the Farms, there are also 30 priests worldwide serving the communities: “We recognized that there is a need for priests, for formation, spiritual accompaniment and assistance,” so Fr. Luiz.
The wider circle around the Farm of Hope consists of the Family of Hope – groups that meet weekly or monthly and offer addiction recovery and support for family members, always linked to a parish. The concept is similar to the 12-step program of AA. These groups are spearheaded by people who successfully recovered or served as volunteers on a Farm of Hope: “There are some possible groups in San Antonio and Atlanta, where people live who went to a Farm in Mexico and Brazil,” says Fr. Luiz.