*Vincent and Zulena reminiscing over photos*

Farm of the Child began as a lived response to the Gospel—one that took shape through the shared “yes” of a husband and wife. Vincent and Zulena Pescatore founded Farm of the Child as an expression of faith, sacrifice, and love: a commitment to offer children not only care, but something far deeper, a family.

Before there were homes, classrooms, a clinic, or youth programs, there was a conviction that would shape everything that followed: children deserve to be raised in love and stability, surrounded by faith and belonging, with God at the center of their lives. Vincent and Zulena did not believe the answer was an institution. They believed the answer was relationship. Family. A home.

*Vincent and Zulena on their wedding day*

Vincent Pescatore, a Catholic layman from New Jersey, felt called beyond a comfortable and conventional life. Seeking to love God and neighbor not in theory but in action, he traveled to Central America, where he encountered poverty and suffering that could not be ignored. In Guatemala, he met Zulena, and the two soon married. From day one, they discerned how God was calling them to serve those most in need together as husband and wife.

After marrying in Antigua, Zulena’s hometown, they left in the late 1980s for the jungles of Petén, where the needs were great and the work quickly grew beyond what they had imagined. There, the foundation of Farm of the Child Guatemala was formed: establishing a home for children who had been abandoned, opening a school for the wider community, providing healthcare to those in need, and grounding every part of the work in what mattered most: sharing the love of God.

*Zulena teaching a health course in Guatemala*

As Farm of the Child took root in Guatemala—and as their own family grew to include four children—Vincent and Zulena began to discern whether God was calling them to bring this work to Honduras as well. In time, they were led to Trujillo, a place where children could be raised in strong faith and morals and where a second location could flourish. The next steps required perseverance at every level: securing land, navigating legal hurdles, and beginning the long, faithful work of building a place where children could live, learn, and grow.

By the mid-1990s, Farm of the Child Honduras was actively taking shape, with homes being built, classrooms preparing to open, and a chapel planned. The Pescatores even welcomed their fifth child during this time of transition of moving from Guatemala to Honduras.

On January 3, 1996, Vincent’s life was tragically cut short in a plane crash while he was traveling in service of the Farm’s work in Honduras—part of the ongoing effort to build and expand what was needed for the children, including the Chapel. He died alongside two others who were also traveling to help further the mission. His death was a devastating loss for Zulena and their children, and for all who had witnessed the fearless love and relentless faith that marked his life.

Yet even in grief, what Vincent and Zulena had founded together did not collapse. The mission continued—because it had always been rooted not in one person, but in God’s providence and in a shared vocation that had already formed a strong foundation.

*Zulena with the Farm community shortly after Vincent’s passing*

Zulena continued the work she and Vincent had embraced together. Supported by three Franciscan Sisters and the first three volunteers from the University of Notre Dame, she helped ensure the Farm not only endured, but grew. Through her leadership, Farm of the Child opened its doors to provide a home to children and support to families through education, healthcare, and formation in the faith.

Today, Farm of the Child stands as living proof that love—anchored in faith and trust in God’s providence—can transform lives. Zulena leads the mission as President of both Farm of the Child USA and Finca del Niño Honduras, carrying forward the vocation she and Vincent embraced together. Their children remain an active part of the Farm of the Child family as well—serving on the Board of Directors and supporting the mission through generous giving, prayer, and ongoing dedication.

Vincent and Zulena’s founding story is, at its heart, a story of family: a marriage offered to God, a home opened wide, and a work of mercy that continues to bear fruit in the lives of children and communities in Honduras.

Our Founding Story