My name is Carla. I am 24 years old and come from Sicily, Italy. I had two experiences of serving at the St John of God institute at Genzano di Roma, as a member of my parish youth group. The first time I was eagerly looking forward to getting down to work. But with some trepidation because I was unclear about what was awaiting me.

When I reached the entrance to the Hospital I seemed to be in an alien world. Bro. Massimo Scribano explained to us how everything worked and introduced the Guests to us: most of them were middle-aged people and just a few youngsters who lived there to undergo psychiatric care and rehabilitation.

They immediately came up to us, looking strange and sweaty, to embrace us as if we were old friends: we felt uncomfortable and out of place.

But little by little, thanks to the ingenuity and the joie de vivre of Franco, Angelo, Marco, Tiziano and all the others, we became accustomed to their condition and took no more notice of it, just seeing in them the affection that they were so ready to give us and to ask of us.

Relationships became much closer thanks to the daily activities which the Guests shared with us: some practised onotherapy, while others did Gardening or played bowls or painted.

It was an experience of service accompanied by powerful moments of adoration and reflection, from which we learnt never to stop at appearances but always to look beyond them: every individual has their own story to tell, which deserves to be listened to, and a life of their own which is worthy of being lived.