I had the honour and the fraternal privilege to share the life of the Brothers of the Saint John of GOD for three wonderful years at the Order’s General Curia in Rome. I stayed at the eternal city for health reasons and for study purposes, and was welcomed with open arms by a beautiful and lively community which made me feel at home from every point of view, seeing me as a full member of the community.

I must admit that I knew very little about the Order before that, but that experience of life enabled me to appreciate, from within, the very noble charism of hospitality, and to be carried away by it. Through a daily life marked by prayer and conviviality, the Brothers make themselves available to respond to the daily demands of life, concerned to perpetuate the work of the welcoming and compassionate Christ.

Because of their outreach and their sensitivity to every person, particularly the sick and the needy, the Brothers of Saint John of God open their hearts and offer their whole being, driven by the compassion inherited from their holy founder, perfectly continuing Christ’s preferential option for the poor. I could not say how many people they took in and supported during my stay there, but one thing is certain: theirs is same welcome extended to Angels, fully taking up the invitation of the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Heb 13,2)