Greetings to all. I am Milena Giacchetti and for the last four and a half years, I have been working as a physiotherapist at the Fatebenefratelli Rehabilitation Center at San Maurizio Canavese and I must say that I have been extremely impressed by the Hospitality here, particularly on the part of the Brothers. I believe in the importance of practicing Hospitality and though I am told I am a kind and welcoming person, I also believe that in life there is always something more to be learned.

Being hospitable is a very easy thing. All you need is to realize that behind every person, every patient, there is God and the only thing you should do is to be open and receptive.

In today’s world, I think there is a tendency for us to keep to ourselves too much; if, while we are at work, we run into a colleague whom we don’t know, we tend to ignore him or her and to go on our merry way. If someone on the street asks us for information, unless one is a very polite person, we often may just pretend we have not seen him or her. This is not because we are rude but because we are afraid of encounters with the ill-intentioned, something that happens all too often in our society. In other words, I believe that our natural inclination towards hospitality is often blocked by our own fears and prejudices.

What does hospitality mean to me? It means cultural open-mindedness and tolerance, for example towards people of other religions. It can be so rewarding to reflect on the significance of other religions, particularly if one knows one’s own. After all, comparisons and study can provide us with positive input.

Hospitality can also mean communication with young, recently hired colleagues. It costs us nothing and yet can mean so much to them. It could help them start off on the right foot and get them involved by introducing  them to our volunteer youth programmes and, right from the start, by asking them for their views and their help. Hospitality means impressing on everyone that this is not simply a structure that provides assistance, but a family that thrives on harmony, communication, empathy, openness, time, respect, dedication and love.