Acknowledgement, written by Christine Lacayo in collaboration with Roberta Graza, Designed by Nicolas Sanchez-Mejorada in collaboration with Mariana Gastelum
Discover Cuatro Ciénegas Our History
The Plan Cuatro Ciénegas 2040 Who are we? Our purpose and our Mission How we work Our Values Our Principles Our Methodology
Four Pillars and One Heart Why 2040? The Meaning Behind the Logo
How we Measure Success Our 2022 Achievements Youth and Family Health Education Employment Spirituality
Model Resources to Replicate the Plan 2040 Colonia Independencia How you can help
Development- Home of Hope Ecotourism- Las Playitas Del Desierto Education- Rochat School of Business Hospitality-Hotel Marielena Hospitality- Tierra Maria Pilgrimage- St. Joseph’s Way Science- Genesis Lab 4C Museum and Lab
After 11 years as missionaries in the community of Cuatro Cienégas, the missionaries saw that the problems of the population not only continued to exist but were actually increasing. In Cuatro Ciénegas, as in countless communities around the world, only a few receive and can take advantage of optimal opportunities for their development.
We go out to encounter 100% of the families of the new generations and encourage each family to ask themselves what their dream is.
After thinking and praying about it and getting down to work, God inspired us to create a longterm plan, based on a participatory diagnosis of the community to ensure that 100% of the people where we work can enjoy their opportunities and the necessary tools to take advantage of them.
We go out to encounter 100% of the families of the new generations and encourage each family to ask themselves what their dream is. Together we work with each individual tracing the path of their life plan in order to achieve their full vocation, dreaming that:
• By the year 2025, we will have accompanied 100% of nearly 2,000 children of the new generations and their families.
• Encounter each person both in the municipal seat and in other outside communities of the town being in constant and direct communication with more than half of the entire population.
• Having built the Home of Hope as a community center for comprehensive services for all the families of Cuatro Ciénegas.
• That all generations of Plan 2040 have the support necessary for their proper development with optimal development tests, learning tests, full vaccination, and good nutrition.
• That 100% of the new generations in their of the corresponding age, do their preschool and primary years, English classes, and have a good academic level.
• That the Plan 2040 has developed enough to address the most important stages of childhood with the support of experts: stage of pregnancy, birth and lactation, 1st childhood, preschool, and lower primary.
• That the Plan 2040 families have the training to achieve an integrated and functional life, formed in values and faith and with a sufficient income to have a dignified life.
• That the parents believe in the dream of what their son or daughter could become, promoting open enrollment in high school, and professional and technical careers among parents.
• That every child in the Catholic faith be baptized, with 1st communion those of age, with their houses enthroned and their parents (mostly young adults) participating in the activities of the parish or the Church they belong to. That those who do not have or embrace a particular faith always feel valued, welcomed, and supported without any distinction.
• That everyone can use smart systems that work on cell phones and tablets to help us accompany
the 2040 families and help parents follow their life plans with real and updated information.
• Certify and document progress in all generations and publish a book on Plan 2040 that helps to share the mission with the help of local, national, and international experts.
• Collaborate with other communities in Mexico and where Qualfon operates, to initiate plans similar to Plan 2040 using the documentation of processes and operating manuals, training, consulting, accompaniment, and support that facilitate the adaptation of this comprehensive development model with long-term plans.
After 6 years in operation, Plan 2040 is permanently accompanying 40% of the community’s population, with a clear methodology, hand in hand with the community in order to always do good and do it in the best possible way.
- The Gonzalez Fernandez Family:
Alfonso and Maricarmen Gonzalez. Maricarmen and Daniel Palau
Alfonso and Sofia Gonzalez
Juan Pablo and Andrea Gonzalez
Jose Andres Gonzalez Fernandez
Ana Sofia Gonzalez Fernandez
Francisco Gonzalez Fernandez
This can only be achieved through the harmony between human vitality, ecological preservation, and economic development.
Only once we recognize that we are not alone on this planet and that we are responsible for the intimate union with everything that exists; the person, the environment, and the care of our common home, can we truly achieve sustainable development. This is what the Plan 2040 has set out to accomplish first, in a small town in Northern
development means meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.Las Playitas del Desierto, Cuatro Ciénegas. USA
Mexico called Cuatro Ciénegas, and hopefully to be replicated around the world.
Just 3 hours northeast of Monterrey, Mexico, Cuatro Ciénegas is located in the Chihuahuan Desert and often called the ‘Galapagos of Mexico’ for its abundance of ancient flora and fauna, endemic species, and unique geography keeping the secrets of the beginnings of life.
The Cuatro Ciénegas wetland is made up of more than 200 turquoise-colored streams and ponds, or pozas, flowing with some
of the oldest water on the planet with characteristics from the Precambrian Era. The earliest fossil evidence of life on earth, called stromatolites, is also found here. These microbial reefs emerged in the ocean, formed protective calcium barriers, floated to the surface, and then invented photosynthesis 3.5 billion years ago allowing for life on Earth to form as we know it today.
Cuatro Ciénegas is also known as the Cradle of the Revolution being the birthplace of Venustiano
Carranza, a leader in the Mexican civil war and the first president of the new Mexican republic.
With a population of 12,715, Cuatro Ciénegas is one of the 13 wonders of Mexico and has been awarded the “Pueblo Mágico” category by the Department of Tourism.
The people of Cuatro Ciénegas are proud of their traditions and unique characteristics and seek to preserve and pass on their ancient ecosystems and cultural traditions from generation to generation.
In 2005, a group of family and friends began visiting Cuatro Ciénegas as missionaries to visit families in the local community for prayer and community building. Almost half the population of Cuatro Ciénegas lives below the poverty level and after consecutively visiting for 11 years, the missionaries realized the urgent and continued need for
resources, education, and attention in the community.
In 2016, after making a professional and participative diagnosis with the community, they proposed a long-term plan to make a deeper and more impactful change in Cuatro Ciénegas. Together with the local authorities and
organizations, the missionaries hired a group of experts to analyze the socioeconomic situation in order to understand a more complete picture of the social and economic health of the community.
They focused on six key areas of study: demographic, poverty and social gap, education, health, family integration, employment, and income. With this research, four main pillars were identified as the biggest needs to address in Cuatro Ciénegas: family, health, education, employment, and spirituality is the heart of our model.
Shortly after, a long-term plan to transform and lift up the community out of poverty was t hen developed.
Everything started in the hearts of the missionaries.
The first missions in Cuatro Ciénegas were carried out during Holy Week
A needs assessment was carried out in Cuatro Ciénegas. Creation and inauguration of the Plan 2040
Guides begin accompanying families and the new generations of Cuatro Ciénegas Full-time employment of Guides
Strategic partnership with New Generations Foundation
Celebration of 15 years of Youth and Family Missions in Cuatro Ciénegas and the creation of the job positions for each pillar to provide integral support to the 2040 families
Needs assessment is carried out in the Colonia Independencia of Monterrey and the first stone is placed for the Home of Hope
Plan 2040 is launched in the Colonia Independencia in Monterrey
Plan Cuatro Ciénegas 2040 was born responding to a call from God to help awaken within each person in Cuatro Ciénegas, the capacity to dream big and walk the path of their full vocation
The mission of Plan Cuatro Ciénegas 2040 is to ‘transform the community into fully realized individuals united accomplishing a long term plan with a focus on the new generations.
We are a community that goes out to seek each family of the new generations accompanying them in the development of their life plan.
Our Purpose: Respond to a call from God to help awaken in each person, the ability to dream big and trace the path of his or her full vocation.
Mission: Be transformed into a community of fully realized people, focused on the new generations, accomplishing together a long-term plan.
We offer a support network that goes out to seek 100% of the families of the new generations providing tools for the development of each individual’s life plan.
In order to do this, every family in Cuatro Ciénegas is accompanied by a specialized Guide encouraging every child and family in the community to dream big and to work on their integral life plan.
A network of local “Guides” (full-time missionaries) was created to accompany and support every single family in the community providing tools, resources, and care for the development of their life plan.
Through the support of these Guides, allies, social networks, donors, volunteers, organizations, institutions, godparents, and families, we are able to support the families of the new generations in a holistic way.
We govern our actions, our methodology, and our day-to-day activities by our values.
Service- Giving of ourselves with joy and purity of intention
Unity- Live in communion for the mission, including everyone without leaving anyone behind
Perseverance- Move forward with conviction, always doing good
Hope- I know who I have put my trust in
Responsibility- Accept the call, welcoming it with my commitment, giving my all
Joy- Sharing and radiating with enthusiasm the love that we carry inside
We adopt and work under 5 of the principles of Christian social doctrine
Human dignity- The human person has inherent dignity and value due to their simple condition of being human.
Participation- Every person has the right and the moral obligation to participate in the construction of the common good.
Subsidiarity- A person who is not capable of doing what is necessary may require support and affection. That does not mean that we must do for the other only what we should and can do for ourselves.
Solidarity- We are part of one body, as a community that must support each other. This means acting for the good of each and every individual because we are responsible for everyone.
Common good- See not just the individual, but all individuals, not one person, but all.
Youth and family- We help each individual in the family work towards their life plan so that together, they can work towards a strong foundation for the family nucleus (values, beliefs, traditions, sense of life, respect for the dignity of the human life).
Health- We support the optimal development of the new generations and their families through prevention, detection, and attention scans throughout every stage of growth.
Education- We promote continued education for all families and their children so that they can take advantage of their opportunities and a better future.
Employment- We support every individual’s leadership capacity and professional development with a human sense to contribute to a family economy that ensures a dignified life plan for the family.
Spirituality- We go out and meet each family of the new generations to share and live the love of God.
That guide every decision and action we take:
Being part of the 2040 Plan is a sign of life, it evokes joy, unity, communion, effort, looking out for each other, looking out for each person’s dream, really looking for each person’s heart and seeking to serve. Personally, as coordinator of the office, it means looking after each one of my co-workers and hoping that they seek to replicate this with all the families that we care for and welcome in the light of the heart of Jesus, of Mother Mary, and of Saint Joseph.
- Joaquín Aldana, Coordinator of Plan 2040 Cuatro Ciénegas
Since the inception of the Plan 2040 we have been responding to a call from God to awaken in each person the ability to dream big.
For me, this means realizing first, the call of God to give myself completely to others, and second, to always do it in the best possible way, dreaming big and believing that you can fulfill that big dream.
I have had the opportunity watch the children of the Plan 2020 grow up since their birth. Seeing them today, I realize that the only thing we always have to do is be willing to give ourselves totally,
trusting that God only needs our imperfect talents to serve in an extraordinary mission.
The Plan 2040 team, each of the families, our benefactors, and allies are the ones who make everything possible and to whom we owe our total gratitude every day. We all have the same desire in our hearts, the same mission, and our job is to listen to the heart and turn it into action.
- Ivan Torres, General Manager of Plan 2040
We put into practice God’s call to fulfill the mission by doing everything with love.
We go out to encounter 100% of the families of the new generations.
We go out to encounter 100% of the families of the new generations.
We know that what is worthwhile takes time, which is why we follow the 5 pillars that support the integral well-being of each person.
2040 remains an iconic date for the initiative because in that year we project that the first generation of children we accompanied since 2017, would be obtaining their professional studies and reaching a stage of their lives in which they would be able to fully realize their vocations.
The logo was developed from a competition carried out with the locals of Cuatro Ciénegas. The handprints represent a participatory bond between the old and new generations of Cuatro Ciénegas. The larger hand represents the support, care, and love this community provides for the children and the small hand represents the new generations that embrace the call to dream big, walking together with the support of the community, to achieve these dreams.
01. Ensure comprehensive support for all families of the new generations.
04. Care for and accompany each of the collaborators of the Plan 2040 who make this mission possible, following up on their professional and personal development plans.
02. Development and implementation of the plan by pillar, implementing projects that strengthen the family union and social transformation.
05. Consolidate and replicate the Plan 2040, managing to take the mission to other communities that seek a transformation towards its full realization.
03. Develop and integrate technology to ensure optimal monitoring and participation of families, as well as effective monitoring of indicators and replicability in other communities.
06. Promote the mission of Plan 2040 and form a network of alliances that strengthen teamwork for comprehensive support.
Since 2016, we’ve been able to walk with 1,190 children, offer 5,405 people from the community continued and permanent support, opened 2 offices (Cuatro Ciénegas and Independencia, Monterrey), and assisted 1,664 additional special cases along with our continued support.
• Carried out our first complete census in the community, identifying 51 new children
• 1,100 children and families accompanied through 9,022 face-to-face visits
• 111 cases identified and treated with the new generation children through - 384 follow-ups carried out
• 47 cases identified and treated of the children’s relatives through 182 follow-ups carried out
• 86% of the families use the accompaniment workbook we use for visits and to track progress
• 165 iPads have been donated
• Preliminary design for the app Plan 2040 has been designed to enhance family development
• 1,100 children from the new generations registered
• 23 active programs
• 40% of the population has been accompanied through the Plan 2040
• 14 new programs initiated in 2022
• More than 100 benefactors supporting the Plan 2040
• 30 volunteers and social workers added
• Identified 24 pregnant mothers
• Formed alliance with the hospital of Cuatro Ciénegas supporting 220 families with INSABI medical insurance
• 90% compliance with optimal child development tests applied from the first to the sixth generation
• 87 children have had successful follow-ups with pediatricians and nurses in partnership with Instituto y Fundación Lala finding 25% of children overweight, 40.8% underweight and 3 cases of malnutrition
To further contribute to our health pillar, we’ve partnered with the Instituto and Fundación Lala to launch a nutrition program for early childhood development. LALA donates milk to families in need and tracks the progress of the children’s growth on a monthly basis.
• 290 mothers and fathers with a gap in education were invited to continue their studies
• 425 children were promoted to register and re-registration to preschool
• 88% of preschool-age children were enrolled
• 29 students graduated from high school
• 8 active students enrolled in a Bachelor of Business Administration, 14 active students enrolled in a Master of Business Administration, and 6 students graduated from Rochat School of Business
• The team grew from 25 to 46 full-time missionaries in the 2040 Plan and 125 in total with Mission Cuatro Cienégas
• The Mission Guide was launched to accompany our collaborators in their life plan
• Collaborators have started to learn English
• 917 families visited and encouraged to grow in faith and love showing full respect to their own beliefs and personal choices
• 917 families started catechetical groups in the parish
• Support during Holy Week missions for Youth and Family Missions
• Promotion of the catechumenate, 4 groups with 72 registered, and 53 who received the sacraments
• Promotion of baptism to the first 5 generations + 32 baptisms of the brothers and sisters of the children in Plan 2040 + 135 new generation children baptized
• 90% of active Catholic families of the first 5 generations with their homes consecrated to the heart of Jesus and Mary
• 5 new parish groups: Acólitos, Choir, Catechumenate, accompaniment with a youth group, and a catechism group
Plan 2040 is a replicable model to share with communities around the world, this methodology is not only meant for Cuatro Ciénegas, but to be used elsewhere transforming communities by focusing on developing the new generations and their families with a long-term life plan.
This replicable model was founded on five pillars: family, education, health, employment, and spirituality. These pillars provide opportunities for an enriched, sustained community and better overall life.
Plan 2040 will continue to expand into other communities around the world largely due to the generosity of our sponsors, local community leaders, volunteers, and other organizations.
To best support communities with a strong eagerness to replicate this model in other places outside of Cuatro Ciénegas, we’ve decided to put together resources for others to follow when replicating the Plan 2040.
• Playbook and Journey of Engagement was developed and supported by ‘Redbox’ to create a guide where others can learn and understand how to work with Guides, collaborators, employees, and families that form part of the Plan 2040
• Structure of the operational manual and Replicability Manual through the “minimum required capacities” methodology was designed
• Development of Knowledge Base System Plan 2040 and digitalization of manuals in the system
• Compiled coordination and efforts in the implementation of the Plan 2040 in the Colonia Independence in Monterrey
• First phase was implemented of the development of the mobile app for Guides and Families
The world is transformed by betting your life on it, every day, at every moment, in every place and with every person. The Plan 2040 is to recognize this and to respond, each from our own vocation, to the Voice that calls from within. Today, we accompany our new generations, building together a world where dreams are not dreams but a reality.
- Leticia Vasquez, Coordinator of Plan 2040 Independencia
Since January of 2022, the Plan 2040 has been replicated in a second town, Colonia Independencia in Monterrey. A participatory needs assessment was carried out to identify the biggest needs and current situation of the town with a little over 24,000 residents. Today, Colonia Independencia has 159 children of the new generations and 7 Plan 2040 collaborators.
We invite you to be part of the Plan 2040 encouraging the children of Cuatro Ciénegas to dream big and to take advantage of the opportunities in their lives
With almost half of the population of Cuatro Ciénegas in poverty, and with unemployment rates, informal jobs, and teen pregnancy prevalent, Mission Cuatro Ciénegas was formed in 2020.
Mission Cuatro Ciénegas (4C) is a network of institutions that serve as the vehicle through which dreams are reached using a sustainable long-term approach for all who live in Cuatro Ciénegas.
Through scientific research, hospitality, eco-tourism, academic institutions, and organizations with an international philanthropic focus, Mission 4C ensures the creation of jobs, economic improvement, and
environmental protection with the development of each person and the new generations as its center.
The organizations that make up the Mission 4C offer a sustainable development approach to the Plan Cuatro Ciénegas 2040, uniting each initiative in a common mission towards the protection of our common home and the people that live in it.
The current Home of Hope where Plan 2040 is managed and operated, has recently become insufficient due to limited space. With a capacity of 40 people, it has become difficult to run operations, programs, and activities for the entire community. As a result, there is an urgent need to expand the facility.
The proposed Home of Hope is expected to be a 26,000-squarefoot facility including audio-visual
rooms, instructional classrooms for job creation workshops, education, rooms for therapy, coaching, early childhood stimulation, health check-ups, and areas for shared community-building, sports, and prayer.
To maintain a sustainable building design, the new facility will utilize construction materials that are 100% indigenous to the surrounding area, representing a modern Mexican design that will serve over
300 people with an inviting plaza where families can socialize, hold celebrations, and organize events.
Thanks to the support of our founding partner Qualfon, New Generations Foundation, and other benefactors, this work will be inaugurated in 2023 and will be constructed in two phases.
Qualfon is a people-focused global business services company providing contact center services, integrated marketing solutions, big data analytics, and back-office processing in Mexico, United States, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Philippines, India, and Guayana. As one of the only mission-based, full-service outsourcing companies in the world, Qualfon’s vision and support of Plan 2040 have helped transform lives and communities in Mexico and eventually around the world.
New Generations Foundation is the funding vehicle that exists to work with underserved communities so new generations and their families can positively transform themselves and realize their dreams, vocations, and purpose in life.
Qualfon’s mission is to help as many individuals as possible pursue their total vocation, create an ever-growing number of career development opportunities, and be the partner of choice for all our clients.
In a few words: Be the best and make each person’s life better!
Plan 2040 is the execution of our mission at a community level promoting inclusion, embracing diversity and enabling equal opportunities for all.
We invite you to scan the QR code if you would like to leave your name in Cuatro Ciénegas for a future full of hope for current families and their new generations to achieve their biggest dreams!
-Roberto Sanchez Mejoarada Chief Mission Officer
Las Playitas is an eco-touristic park located in the largest lagoon of Cuatro Ciénegas. The goal of Las Playitas is to generate integral tourist experiences among the locals and visitors while promoting the conservation of the Cuatro Ciénegas Valley. The park donates 100% of its profits to the sustainability of the Plan 2040.
..that Las Playitas was closed for more than 15 years for its conservation and regeneration? Now that the park is open to the public, our mission is to “recover the park’s environmental functionality in a sustainable way.”
We’ve developed an ecotourism model so tourists can enjoy the natural wealth of the park with a low impact on the environment while generating income to continue protecting this eco-park.
Your visit to the Park helps us continue protecting the unique ecosystem of Las Playitas as well as helps us train and educate new generations on the importance of its preservation and care.
• Kayaking
• Star gazing
• Stand-up paddle boarding
• Biking
Fulfilling the mission of Las Playitas del Desierto eco-park is a path that we must undertake with perseverance united with universities, scientists, and the country’s environmental institutions.
The purpose of this Manifesto is for the park to be evaluated and approved by the methodology that we have developed to find the balance between future visitors and the positive growth of plants and animals in the park.
We have finished and submitted the Environmental Impact Manifesto of our Master Plan to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) and it is currently in the final phase of evaluation.
We are very happy and with faith in God that by 2023 we will have the approval of this Master Plan to be able to achieve the best eco-park in northern Mexico, a place to enjoy, educate, unite visitors, families, study, conserve and understand the valley of Cuatro Ciénegas.
- Diego González, Development Coordinator
Rochat School of Business is a higher education institution based in Switzerland with a branch in Cuatro Ciénegas, educating students through a person-centered and values-based philosophy through online degrees.
The Mission of Rochat School of Business is to contribute to the professional development of students through higher education online courses enhancing their
personal and professional skills and contributing to an active and holistic integration into modern society. Students can graduate with Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s Degrees
Our students find that the mission of Rochat School of Business seeps in, and changes them, in ways that help them make their way in the world, and in turn make that world a better place.
- Carlos Guereca, Director of Rochat School of Business
The Rochat Educational Center in Cuatro Ciénegas is a center available to all students enrolled in the Rochat School of Business helping students further their studies. This classroom was sponsored by the Plan 2040, Fundación Televisa, and UNETE Google.
My overall learning experience at Rochat has been smooth. The coursework, while demanding, challenges me and makes me think critically. It is always a great satisfaction to complete my courses with a short break before starting the next term. I am sure that my courses have helped me in my decision-making and have improved my professional skills in my current career. I personally feel that the trajectory of my future is much better today than it was before I started my journey with Rochat.
The Max Shein scholarship fund, in alliance with the Rochat School of Business, supports the educational pillar of the Plan 2040 by offering scholarships to students from Cuatro Ciénegas and the Colonia Independencia in Monterrey to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees.
-Jason Skurupey, Student of Rochat and Operation Director Mission Office Qualfon
Max Shein
To learn more about Rochat School of Business in Cuatro Ciénegas,
Hotel Marielena is more than a hotel, it represents a place that engages each visitor in the traditions, hospitality, and mission of the Cuatro Ciénegas community.
Marielena is a mission driven hotel that strives to provide exceptional guest experiences in a fun and friendly environment.
- Carlos Rochas, General Manager
To be a home in Cuatro Ciénegas, sowing significance through small details and showing with actions, more than words, that this is a hotel with a cause, transforming a common stay into an experience that leaves a lasting mark.
In the middle of the Coahuila desert, Don Gilberto Arocha and Doña Diamantina formed a warm and unique home and gave birth to 5 children: one being Marielena.
Marielena was very cheerful, spiritual, and had a noble heart. She grew up very happy in Cuatro Ciénegas and was convinced that this land, consecrated to Saint Joseph, contained within itself the secret of life and the imprint of God in the creation of the world.
She dreamed that great things would happen here and that the world would know its wealth.
Marielena and her husband, Don Luis González, a man of integrity and great values, were undoubtedly a great example for their children planting in them that same love and commitment for their land and their people.
Inspired by their parents, the children decided to make their house into a hotel that would be the answer to the solid and constant economic and social support they were looking to provide in Cuatro Ciénegas.
“We believe that a small spark can light anything.”
Today, it is the only hotel in the world that seeks to provide the best service to its guests while seeking the comprehensive development of its employees and the locals of Cuatro Ciénegas by donating 100% of their profits to finance the Plan 2040.
Tierra María is a boutique destination stay that offers a unique experience with an environment of serenity and privacy in the valley of Cuatro Ciénegas.
Because Tierra Maria employs only locals from Cuatro Ciénegas, your visit and stay at Tierra Maria gives back by supporting and nurturing the local community.
“ ”Nothing beats a tailor-made experience. Tierra Maria offers private, personalized experience because they’re made for you and you alone.
- Marco Guevara General Manager• Casa María
+ 6 rooms for guests to rent
+ Full kitchen
+ Dining room accommodating 16
+ Family TV room and office
+ Terrace with fireplace
+ BBQ and outdoor dining area
+ Heated pool with jacuzzi
• Salón del Lago An 1830 m2 event space for weddings, conferences, and events airconditioned for comfortable use at any time of the year, with a capacity for 450 people, and surrounded by a lake and a vineyard lining the hills of the mountain range
• Vineyard with 2022 being the first wine harvest
• Organic garden with a farm-to-table gastronomic experience
• Blue-lagoon reflecting the colors of Las Playitas del Desierto
St. Joseph’s Way is a 20 km journey of 3 days visiting 14 stations devoted to a particular time in St. Joseph’s life over 2000 years ago. Walking hand in hand with St. Joseph through the unique landscapes of the Chihuahuan Desert, we meditate on different moments through his life to know him better and recognize him as a spiritual father.
To date, we’ve taken 767 pilgrims on 57 pilgrimages walking over 15,340 km.
To create a spiritual experience for local and international pilgrims walking with St. Joseph.
1800- Cuatro Ciénegas is founded on May 24, 1800. Since its founding, the town is consecrated to St. Joseph. To this day, he is recognized as the Patron of families in Cuatro Ciénegas.
2018- The property of Las Playitas is acquired to develop an ecotourism destination with the goal of promoting greater care and appreciation of the natural world, and of educating visitors on
the biological significance of the Cuatro Ciénegas valley. The area is protected for conservation and biological research.
2020- Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the dream of creating the Camino de San José (St. Joseph’s Way) is born. That same year, a group of novices begin to work on the property of Las Playitas, marking out the path of the first stations.
2021- Pope Francis declares 2021 the year of St. Joseph. On March 19, after several months of hard work, St. Joseph’s Way is officially opened in Cuatro Ciénegas, by Msgr. Hilario González along with the local pastor, Fr. Hector Raciel, and a group of families from the community.
2022- The stations of St. Joseph’s Way begin to be constructed for visitors from all over the world to walk as pilgrims meditating upon St. Joseph and the Holy Family’s life.
Currently, the stations of St. Joseph’s Way are marked with wooden crosses and small boards indicating the virtues of St. Joseph. Catholic World Mission has graciously committed to building one station.
The Way of St. Joseph has been a turning point in my life. Being able to live the experience from the outside as a pilgrim and now from the inside, coordinating the project, has been an incredible experience. Hearing the testimonies from people who throw themselves into this pilgrimage as a response to God’s call through Saint Joseph and who have been touched by this great saint is something that cannot be explained. I’ve also loved being a part of the Plan 2040 family helping people know more about the project by joining something special through St. Joseph. In general, the experience of coordinating the Way of St. Joseph has been a grace in my life.
- Sergio Martinez, Manager Camino de San José
We know that Joseph was a lowly carpenter (cf. Mt 13:55), betrothed to Mary (cf. Mt 1:18; Lk 1:27). He was a “just man” (Mt 1:19), ever ready to carry out God’s will as revealed to him in the Law (cf. Lk 2:22.27.39) and through four dreams (cf. Mt 1:20; 2:13.19.22). After a long and tiring journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem, he beheld the birth of the Messiah in a stable, since “there was no place for them” elsewhere (cf. Lk 2:7). He witnessed the adoration of the shepherds (cf. Lk 2:8-20) and the Magi (cf. Mt 2:1-12), who represented respectively the people of Israel and the pagan peoples.
- Pope Francis, Apostolic letter Patris Corde, 2020
In October 2021 I was diagnosed with leukemia. In December 2021, I asked God to send me something to cheer me up because I felt too sad and tired, the invitation soon came to go to the Camino de San José.
Sometimes we look for a miracle, that life will change us. The true miracle is the acceptance of living with love with what we have to live, with trust and Faith knowing that we are supported by God, that whatever happens in our lives everything will be fine because God gives us strength and accompanies us ALWAYS.
This was my apprenticeship with Saint Joseph, he never had it easy but he always abandoned himself to God, he knew he was sustained and lived his life in peace knowing that God gave him the strength and grace to live what he had to live. This is how my walk with
this disease enlightened me and right now I am in remission. I am very grateful to God and Saint Joseph because I am sure that he interceded for me!
The Camino did me so much good that I promised San José that I would take more people. I have been on 5 pilgrimages and it never ceases to amaze me how God touches the lives of others through Saint Joseph, God always answers us! I am excited to do more pilgrimages and to share this experience with more pilgrims.
For many more ways
- Gabby Ramos, Pilgrim
You can be a part of the St. Joseph’s Way by walking this pilgrimage or by helping to build out the trail for others to walk. Walk through the desert with others contemplating St. Joseph’s life, honor a loved one by helping to construct a dedicated resting place along the way, and provide comfort for those walking along their journey leaving a lasting mark in the town of Cuatro Ciénegas.
By supporting the construction of this pilgrimage, you are not only helping to grow and expand St. Joseph’s Way but also helping to transform and lift an entire community out of poverty.
Genesis Cuatro Ciénegas (Genesis 4C) is a scientific education museum and laboratory dedicated to studying the biodiversity and endemism of the Cuatro Ciénegas Valley and its relationship to the origins of life. Genesis 4C holds a deep focus on integral human ecology with the purpose of giving a holistic ecological approach to the sustainability of the Plan 2040.
…that Cuatro Ciénegas is classified as one of the most important wetlands in the world by RAMSAR, is studied by NASA for being the most Mars-like place on the planet, has over 200 bodies of water (rivers, ponds, and lagoons), with more than 70 endemic species, and is home to the oldest evidence of life on the planet linked to the invention of photosynthesis 3.5 billion years ago?
These characteristics make Cuatro Ciénegas the most micro-biodiverse place on the planet!
The Genesis 4C Museum Laboratory, newly constructed and opened, shares the magnificence of the creation of life on Earth, its evolution, and how the Valley of Cuatro Ciénegas is a living laboratory where the conditions of primitive life on the Earth can be easily studied.
The aim of the Genesis 4C Lab is to develop biotechnological products in a sustainable way, which can be used in agriculture, food, environment, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and industrial with a positive impact on society.
In these museum rooms and laboratory, you’ll find a fun and tech-savvy way to learn about the universe of microorganisms, similar to the first ones that inhabited the Earth, as well as the evolution of a valley home to fish, turtles, mammals, and unique reptiles endemic to this region.
What are you waiting for? Enter the Valley of Cuatro Ciénegas to marvel at its abundant nature.
We strive to create collective generational care of our common home with a special focus on human integral ecology. We are building a space to share our research on the biological relevance of the Cuatro Ciénegas Valley. We are also developing innovative biotechnological products to improve people’s quality of life.
-Dr. Héctor Arocha, director of Genesis 4C
You can virtually view the natural wonders of Cuatro Ciénegas with the Genesis 4C Virtual Museum on Google Arts and Culture.
Science Magazine 17 July 2020 Features microbial hotspot: Mexico’s Cuatro Ciénegas.
To explore and support the Genesis 4C Laboratory, scan the QR code!
We invite you to dream big with us and to support Mission Cuatro Ciénegas in whatever way God is calling you with your talents and passions.
Join us in encouraging the children of our future to dream and take advantage of the opportunities in their lives.
Photo by: Nicolas Sanchez-Mejorada Girault