On 31 May, Sisters Hospitallers celebrates the 145th anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation. It is a moment to look back with gratitude, but also to recognise how a mission born in 1881 continues to speak to the needs of today.
Across 145 years, the world has changed deeply. Social realities have evolved, the needs of those we serve have become more complex, and our services have grown and adapted in response. Yet, through every change, the heart of the Hospitaller mission has remained the same: Hospitality.
The words of our founders are not simply part of our history. They continue to inspire the way Sisters Hospitallers welcomes, cares and accompanies each person with dignity, tenderness and compassion. María Angustias Giménez spoke of the joy of having received “such a beautiful vocation of charity”. St Benedict Menni expressed his desire that charity would always reign in every Hospitaller community. María Josefa Recio reminded the Sisters to show great charity towards the sick, serving them with love.
These words were never meant to remain in the past. They were meant to become life. They were meant to become mission. They were meant to become Hospitality.
To mark this special anniversary, we invited communities of Sisters from across the English Delegation to share what the Hospitaller mission means today in the places where they serve.
At Footherley Hall, Shenstone, the community reflects on Hospitality as the centre of their life and mission, especially in the care of vulnerable older people:
“For us, with a Hospitaller spirit, the word Hospitality gives full meaning to our life and mission. The vulnerable older people we care for are at the centre, the heart of everything we do.
We welcome them with love, tenderness, kindness and empathy, accompanying them like mothers in moments of vulnerability, in a family atmosphere. These values make a real difference to these older people and to their families.
In them, we discover the compassionate and merciful Jesus, the Good Samaritan of humanity. We feel privileged to live our vocation of Hospitality.”
Their reflection reminds us that Hospitality is not only expressed in great gestures, but in the daily atmosphere of a home: in personal attention, in tenderness, in the way each person is welcomed as someone precious, and in the family spirit that surrounds residents and their loved ones.
From the Community of Addlestone, the Sisters describe the Hospitaller mission as something that remains constant across time. For them, accompanying older people with dignity, tenderness and compassion means returning again and again to the same call that inspired the Congregation from the beginning:
“It means what it has always meant: 145 years ago, yesterday, today and tomorrow.
We are called to be witnesses of God’s infinite mercy by embodying Hospitality and fulfilling Jesus’ command to ‘go and do likewise’. In an attitude of kindness, tenderness, and patient, self-sacrificing and joyful service to the sick, especially to those who are most vulnerable, we know that what we do to one of those most in need, we do to Him.
It is a privilege to care for and serve people at the end of their years, showing them compassion, love and respect, caring for them with dignity and grateful thanks for all they have done during their long life, and accompanying them on their final journey to the Father’s house.”
These words give a profound meaning to the care of older people. They speak of gratitude for a whole life, of reverence for each person’s dignity, and of the privilege of accompanying someone not only through daily care, but also through the final stage of their journey.
At St Teresa’s, London, the community reflects on Hospitality as a way of being present. Their testimony shows that Hospitaller care is not only about what is done, but about the spirit with which it is offered:
“The Hospitaller mission is lived each day through simple acts of loving care, attentive presence and compassionate support for every resident.
We care for each person with dignity, love and respect, seeing them not as a condition, but as a person loved by God. Our care is holistic, attending to the body through good service and gentle care; to the mind and heart through listening and understanding; and to the spirit through prayer, hope and pastoral accompaniment.
We are called to be present, not only to do tasks, but to be with the resident: offering a smile, a listening ear, loving care or silent companionship in moments of loneliness, suffering and at the last moment of their life. We also encourage families to support and be involved in the care journey of their loved ones.
In the spirit of our Founder, St Benedict Menni, we try to give ourselves in Hospitality and compassion, making our centre a home where every resident feels welcomed, valued and never alone. We try to live the spirit of Hospitality in words and deeds.
According to our Hospitaller vision, holistic care means seeing Christ in each resident and responding to their needs with total compassion: physical, emotional, social and spiritual. It is not just what is done, but how it is done, with love, dignity and Hospitality, that truly reflects our charism.”
This reflection captures the depth of holistic care. It is care that looks at the whole person: body, mind, heart and spirit. It is found in professional service, but also in a smile, a listening ear, a moment of prayer, a quiet presence, and the effort to make every resident feel welcomed, valued and never alone.
In Monrovia, the Hospitaller mission takes the form of recovery, dignity and reintegration. The community speaks of the importance of accepting each woman without judgement, listening attentively and creating a safe environment where healing can begin:
“To live the Hospitaller mission by supporting women on their journey of recovery, dignity and reintegration means accepting their situation, respecting them and avoiding a judgemental attitude towards them, so they may live their situation with peace.
There is attentive listening, welcoming and compassion, sharing their life experience and providing a sound and safe environment that restores their health, improves their self-image and helps them readjust to society.
This helps them to live independent lives and feel a sense of belonging to the community through ongoing monitoring and follow-up visits.”
Here, Hospitality becomes a path towards restoration. It helps rebuild confidence, recover dignity and open the possibility of belonging again. It reminds us that the Hospitaller mission is not only to care for immediate needs, but to accompany each person towards a fuller and more hopeful life.