Nestled in the desert and known as the “Galápagos of Mexico,” Cuatro Ciénegas is a magical town home to rare ecosystems, crystal-clear springs, and a sacred pilgrimage path—St. Joseph’s Way. But beyond its natural wonders, this town holds something even more powerful: a living story of hope and change.
Here, two Regnum Christi members started an amazing project to break the cycle of poverty and ensure a brighter future for every single member of the community, through a program they developed called Plan 2040.
Plan 2040
Alfonso and Maricarmen made their first mission to Cuatro Ciénegas during Holy Week in 2005, and returned to the town year after year in the hopes of making a real change in the lives of those living in the community.
But after more than a decade of missionary visits to the town, the Gonzalezes saw that the poverty and social issues within the community not only continued, but were actually increasing year after year.
“After 11 years of doing missions, we saw that the main necessities still weren’t there,”
says Alfonso. “We were very happy with the missions, but afterward, Maricarmen and I said to ourselves, ‘If we dedicate another 11 years, the town is still going to be the same.’”
Frustrated that their continual efforts were not having any lasting, systemic impact on the community, Alfonso and Maricarmen took the issue to prayer, and in 2016, partnering with Catholic World Mission and collaborating with local authorities, other charities, and public institutions, they established Plan 2040. Their mission: to truly transform the Cuatro Ciénegas community through long-term, holistic solutions that focus on health, education, family, spirituality, and employment, improving the lives of every family and helping every child meet their full potential.
Fr. Daniel Brandenburg, LC, has been joining the Gonzalezes on their missions to Cuatro Ciénegas for over five years, and over that time, he has witnessed a remarkable transformation in the town. “What I love about Plan 2040 is that it’s addressing the whole person: the cultural and structural elements around them, the family, the Church and the parish family, the local government, their health—all these different elements are coming together in an integral way. It’s a powerful example of how the Regnum Christi spirituality addresses the integral formation and development of the human person.”
One of the most important aspects of Plan 2040 is its goal to reach 100% of the children living in the community. Every child that is born in the town of approximately 13,000 people is adopted into a holistic program that provides personal accompaniment to the family, connecting parents and all members of the family to employment opportunities and access to healthcare, education, parenting tips, the sacraments, and spiritual formation. Full-time missionaries visit every family, every home, providing parents with real, practical support to build a strong future for their children.
St. Joseph’s Way
Several years after founding Plan 2040, the Gonzalezes acquired the property of Las Playitas, a desert oasis that features a lagoon of crystal-clear turquoise water and white sand beaches in a protected area of the Cuatrociénegas Basin. While Alfonso and Maricarmen felt called to take on the care and preservation of this land, they wondered how God wanted them to use it as part of their Plan 2040 mission.
“We wanted to keep our hearts in God’s heart,” says Maricarmen.
“We asked God, ‘What do you want to do with this?’”
The answer was St. Joseph’s Way, a 12-mile hike through the middle of Coahuila’s desert, where 14 stations, drawn from Fr. Daniel’s book Lessons from the Workshop of St. Joseph, take pilgrims through unique landscapes and invite them to meditate on moments of the Holy Family through the eyes of St. Joseph (who also happens to be the patron saint of Cuatro Ciénegas). Ecotourism activities at Las Playitas—such as wine-tasting, stargazing, biking, and kayaking—provide employment opportunities for the families of Cuatro Ciénegas, and 100% of the proceeds from the local hotel go back to the community.
Groups of pilgrims who make their way to Cuatro Ciénegas can now volunteer in the community and spend time at Las Playitas, making a pilgrimage along St. Joseph’s Way. For Alfonso and Maricarmen, this opportunity for service, prayer, and rest is the ideal way for pilgrims to grow both in their faith and in a sense of mission and purpose in their own lives.
“Pilgrims say they get nearer to God’s heart through St. Joseph’s Way, and that’s what they are most looking for—to realize who they are and what they need to do in their lives to stay in God’s heart,” says Maricarmen.
. “And then, entering the humble homes of the people, the families, hugging their babies, you see hearts so humble and so big, how they love God. It’s really the best combo: to rest and to be with God, and to help people, creating opportunities for each person to have God in their lives and live in dignity.”
Join Fr. Daniel on his next mission trip to Cuatro Ciénegas!
Fr. Daniel has been bringing groups of Regnum Christi, Lumen members, and others to Cuatro Ciénegas for several years, and he’s got another trip planned for March 11–15, 2026. This mission trip with Lumen Action, in partnership with Catholic World Mission, invites you to step into the heart of Cuatro Ciénegas. There, you’ll connect with local families, serve through meaningful missions, walk the 12-mile St. Joseph’s Way over three days, and gain insight into how sustainable support—when done with love, faith, and purpose—can spark deep-rooted change. This trip is more than a visit—it’s a call to action, and a chance to grow spiritually, serve meaningfully, and discover the power of a united community working toward a shared dream.
For more information or to join Fr. Daniel on this amazing journey of purpose, connection, and transformation, contact him at dbranden@legionaries.org, or watch highlights from the Lumen Action pilgrimage to Cuatro Ciénegas from March 2025. Click here to register for the March 2026 trip!
Besides being a prolific author and speaker, Fr. Daniel currently serves as the chaplain for the Lumen Institutein Atlanta, Georgia and Jacksonville, Florida. He also serves as board chair for Catholic World Mission, with whom he has two mission trips lined up in 2026: to Cuatro Ciénegas and to Vietnam.
Alfonso and Maricarmen Gonzalez live in Monterrey, Mexico, about 175 miles from Cuatro Ciénegas, and have been married for 35 years. They have six children and nine grandchildren, and one of their sons, Br. José Andrés, is a third-year Legionary seminarian currently spending his internship in Guadalajara. Maricarmen also has two sisters and a niece who are Consecrated Women of Regnum Christi.
For more information about their missionary work, visit Plan 2040 – Dreaming Together.
