Our Munich Hospital celebrated its centenary on 30 November this year. The celebrations were inaugurated with a Solemn Mass in the Hospital Chapel at which the Archbishop of Munich, Reinhard Cardinal Marx, presided. In his homily, the cardinal thanked the Brothers of Saint John of God “for their imagination, creativity and desire to try out new pathways”. A religious hospital, he said, must first and foremost be a sign of the Kingdom of God, visibly and tangibly demonstrating that God’s favourites are the poor, the sick and the needy.

In his welcome address, the Prior General, Brother Jesús Etayo, who took part in the celebration jointly with General Councillor Brother Rudolf Knopp, emphasised the way the Brothers of Saint John of God jointly with their Co-workers and volunteers, had always formed a community at the service of the sick.

After Mass, which was animated by the Hospital Co-workers’ choir, a cultural event was held in the nearby Nymphenburg Castle attended by numerous guests including dignitaries representing Munich’s political and Church life. The invited guests included a number of representatives of the Religious Institutes present in Munich. Addressing the event, General General Councillor Brother Rudolf Knopp reminded the guests of the international scope of the Order, and gave with a brief description of the mission of the Brothers of Saint John of God in Papua New Guinea.