When Fr Antonio Polo arrived in Salinas, Ecuador, from his native Italy, over five decades ago, he was not only struck by the beauty of the landscape but also by the difficult conditions in which its inhabitants lived. “There were no roads, no electricity, and the population worked very hard in the salt mines,” he tells ACN. The salt mines themselves had quite an impact on him: the mountains of salt that shone like white cathedrals and the glittering salt mirrors were built with hard working days which put a heavy strain on the health and skin of the workers. 54 years later, he knows his mission is coming to an end, and he has given his life to love and serve people of Salinas, Ecuador.