The Neocatechumenal Way is a Catholic formation within the Roman Catholic Church that began in 1964 in the slums of Palomeras Altas in Madrid, Spain. A Spanish artist, Kiko Argüello, experienced a deep personal crisis and conversion, which led him to leave his former life and live among the poor, seeking to live the Gospel as taught by the Catholic Church. There, he began preaching the Christian message that Jesus Christ, present in the life of the Church, loves sinners and offers new life through the Gospel.

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Soon after, he met Carmen Hernández, a Catholic missionary with strong theological formation, especially in Scripture and liturgy. Together, in communion with the Church, they began announcing the kerygma—the essential proclamation of the Gospel—within a Catholic context, rooted in the teachings and sacramental life of the Church.

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Those who heard their message began gathering in parishes to listen to the Word of God, celebrate the Catholic liturgy (especially the Eucharist), and share their lives in faith. These small communities became the first Neocatechumenal communities, aimed at helping baptized Catholics rediscover the richness of their faith and live it more fully within the Church.

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The experience spread quickly to other parishes in Spain and throughout the world. In 1974, Pope Paul VI publicly recognized and encouraged the Neocatechumenal Way, calling it “a fruit of the Council,” referring to the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church.

Today, the Neocatechumenal Way is present in thousands of Catholic parishes worldwide, helping people grow in faith through community life, Sacred Scripture, and the liturgy, always in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.