The Spirit of Rural Revival

By Linda Freund

In the rural province of Salamanca, Spain, once-thriving farmland and close-knit villages face a looming threat: depopulation and neglect. Many elderly residents remain isolated, struggling to access fresh meals and basic social support. At the same time, Spain’s broader social fabric is frayed for people on the margins, former addicts, migrants, and ex-inmates. Conventional charity and government programs often fall short, leaving both fragile rural communities and vulnerable individuals without a lifeline.

Catholic priest Emiliano de Tapia and the community development association ASDECOBA put forward a bold, faith-driven plan: reclaim abandoned farmland in Torres Menudas and transform it into a “common table.” Here, marginalized individuals cultivate the land, finding renewed purpose by growing and delivering fresh meals to rural villagers in need. Today, their harvest supplies more than 1,100 meals a day to Salamanca’s elderly, helping seniors remain in their homes.

At the heart of the effort lies a faith-inspired ethos of “community first” and mutual uplift: a blueprint for rural renewal that shows when each person is valued and contributes, entire villages and lives can be reborn. Most importantly, it’s an initiative that draws on the spiritual power of the land itself to bridge and heal. As Father de Tapia explains, “Any person who wants to regain their life has to get in touch with the land. I think that’s the only thing that can truly heal today’s sick society.”

The Spirit of Rural Revival follows this movement in action and the lives it has transformed.