The Prior General, Brother Jesús Etayo, and the General Councillor,
Brother Rudolf Knopp, had two purposes in mind when they went to visit the the Bavarian Provincial Centres at Bad
Wörishofen and Reichenbach on 20-22 October 2016.
The Bad Wörishofen Centre was celebrating a double anniversary: the 125th anniversary of the Sebastianeum Centre (http://www.sebastianeum.de/en/) and the 120th anniversary of the Kneippianum Centre (http://www.kneippianum.de/en/index.html). Both centres joined forced to form the “Kneippschen Stiftungen” care
service, offering a mix of preventive care, rehabilitation services and spa
treatment. These centres were created by a Catholic priest, Fr Sebastian Kneipp
who, on his death, bequeathed the Centres to the Hospitaller Order of Saint
John of God. Several distinguished speakers at the celebratory gathering
highlighted the importance of Kneipp’s ideas, which remain as valid today as
they ever were. Fr Kneipp also treated Pope Leo XIII, for which he was rewarded
with the honorary title of Monsignore. Kneipp’s therapy is based on five
pillars: water (hydrotherapy), herbs (herbal therapy), movement, food and
harmony between the body, the spirit and the soul. In his address, the Prior
General expressed his great admiration of the Kneipp therapy which he had
personally experienced during a meeting held by the General Council in January
this year at Bad Wörishofen.
The second purpose of the visit was to attend the musical play entitled
“Erdverbunden und himmelnah” on the life of Blessed Eustace Kugler and celebrating
the 125th anniversary of the arrival of the Brothers of Saint John John of God
in Reichenbach (http://www.barmherzige-reichenbach.de/de/). The work, whose title in
English means “Anchored to earth, with his eyes fixed on Heaven”, was composed
for the beatification of Blessed Eustace Kugler by a group of Co-workers from
the Reichenbach Centre. The actors, singers and musicians were all guests with
disabilities and Co-workers from the Centre at Reichenbach. The event was a
masterly depiction of the life of Brother Eustace.
During their stay, the guests from Rome were also able to visit two
branches of the Reichenbach Centre. At Schwabelweis (a district in Regensburg) the
Order runs a residential centre for 24 people with serious disabilities, and a
disabilities Day Centre for 38 people. At Bernhardswald (halfway between Regensburg
and Reichenbach) they also run a residential home for 12 guests with
disabilities.
