Gathered in Faith: Christian Base Communities 

In Bolivia’s rural communities, families often face significant hardship and geographic isolation, with limited access to consistent pastoral care, social services, or economic opportunity. In these settings, faith frequently serves as one of the primary sources of stability and mutual support that holds families and neighbors together through difficult circumstances.

Maryknoll is helping establish and strengthen Christian Base Communities, small groups where families gather regularly for prayer, Scripture reflection, faith formation, and mutual support. These gatherings serve a dual purpose, deepening participants’ spiritual lives while also functioning as a practical support network for households facing poverty and isolation, an approach rooted in the long tradition of Christian Base Communities across Latin America.

Small faith communities gathered for prayer and mutual support directly embody the Catholic Social Teaching principle of Solidarity, a tradition with deep roots throughout Latin America, affirming that no family should face poverty or isolation alone. This project also reflects Maryknoll’s founding charism of walking alongside the poor in their daily lives, forming Church not from a distance but from within the ordinary rhythms of rural community.

Gifts to this project help establish and sustain Christian Base Communities that combine prayer, faith formation, and practical assistance, building stronger, more resilient rural communities rooted in shared faith and solidarity.