Testimonies of Mercy: Puntiti Therapeutic Community

At the Puntiti Therapeutic Community, Every Gesture of Love Transforms Lives. Collaborators and Sisters Share How Charity and Hospitality Shape Daily Life at Puntiti.

Since 1996, the Puntiti Therapeutic Community has opened its arms to welcome children, adolescents and young people with profound disabilities, many of whom are orphans or have experienced abandonment. Here, hospitality and charity are not merely values; they are a way of life. Every smile, every word and every gesture of affection reflects the commitment of those who work at the centre and the strength of the charism of the Sisters Hospitallers.

Although the journey is not always easy, resources are limited and needs are great, the strength of this home lies in unconditional love, the dedication of each Sister and collaborator, and the generosity of volunteers and donors who share their time, talents and support.

Discover the testimonies of those who work each day at Puntiti, sharing their experience of hospitality, care and dedication towards the children.

Elba Marca, a collaborator for the past eight years, tells us that her work is marked by hospitality:
“First of all, with hospitality towards the children, with attention, affection and love, because the children here need a great deal of love. We are like their mothers.”

María Solís, a nursing assistant with 23 years of experience, regards her work as an act of love and dedication:
“My experience working at the centre has been very positive. I have learnt many things: to value life more, to be a better person, and to give a little more of myself each day to the children. More than charity, my work is an act of love and dedication, carried out with patience, commitment and gratitude for everything I have learnt here with the children, the staff and the Sisters. They have taught me values such as respect for life, patience, hospitality, charity and warmth in our work and service to the children.”

Patricia Vargas, administrative collaborator and responsible for health pastoral care, highlights the value of time dedicated to the children:
“For me, my work is a vocation and a commitment inspired by the love I have for the children.
What makes this community different is the time we dedicate to them through a variety of activities, including outings and opportunities to participate in society. That is why we are hospitallers. The most rewarding thing is receiving, day after day, the smiles and affection the children share with us despite their challenges. That is priceless.”

Sister Luzzia Da Silva, a Hospitaller Sister who has served at Puntiti for the past three years, reflects on what this place means:
“I have been in the Congregation since 1987, always working alongside people experiencing mental illness.
Here, it is a school of life where we learn to care for, protect and defend life, especially the lives of children who, in many cases, cannot speak, walk or even know their own name. Here we live the charity and hospitality taught by Saint Benedict Menni, who bore witness to God’s mercy alongside those in need. At Puntiti, we become part of the children’s family, caring for them, helping them in everything and becoming their hands, feet, eyes and voice, always in service to God.”

At Puntiti, every act of love transforms lives and reaffirms that charity is not only about providing help; it is about healing, restoring dignity and nurturing hope in those who need it most.