On Tuesday, 5 December, the General Curia hosted the second of the two 2017 meetings of the Hospitality Europe Office in Brussels with the reference persons of the European Provinces of the Order and the Sisters Hospitallers. More than 20 representatives of the Provincial Curias attended the meeting which was called to order by Brother Rudolf Knopp, the President of Hospitality Europe and of the Order’s Europe Commission. 

Dr Carlo Galasso reported on the work of the European Office over the previous six-month period and on the the main cases being dealt with in the European institutions. He illustrated the funding proposals presented by the Provinces through the Office, and the possible European scenarios opening up following the Brexit negotiations, which would also have repercussions on the future of the centres of the Order and the Sisters Hospitallers in the United Kingdom. 

Dr Francesco Vallebona - in his capacity of Co-worker at the Brussels office –illustrated the programme of the European Commission in the fields of international cooperation and humanitarian assistance. He was followed by Brother Moisés Boscà and Sr Suor Josefa Hernández, who explained how the two Congregations had been organising themselves to coordinate their international cooperation and development activities.  

In the afternoon session, Mr Emili Bargalló (Aragon Province) explained the initiative being promoted by the Saint John of God Research Foundation to engage the active involvement of the young patients in clinical research and trials of new pharmacological treatments and therapies. 

Brother Rudolf closed the meeting and thanked all the reference persons for their attendance and their active participation in the meeting, and announced that the 2018 meetings would be held once again at the General Curia in Rome on Wednesday 6 June and 5 December.