San Felipe is located in the Aconcagua Valley, and in the surrounding area there are several small towns and villages.

People find work in agriculture or in the copper mines in Los Andes.

Many may wonder why we want to establish a diaconal ministry in San Felipe, since there is so much suffering in other parts of the world as well.

The answer is that we live here, and we are called to help our neighbors right where we are.

In Putaendo, 10 km from here, there is a psychiatric hospital, and many of the people who are admitted there have no social network left when they are discharged. Although there is government psychological aftercare, we also want to support them with practical help and spiritual care, as the suicide rate in the area is very high.

We have a small hospital here and several medical centers. However, in recent years, due to increased immigration, San Felipe has become so overwhelmed that the public healthcare system is completely overloaded. Therefore, we want to help speed up application processes or provide financial support to those who can no longer wait for treatment — as far as we are able.