Today we celebrate a new anniversary: 144 years ago, on May 31, 1881, the Congregation of the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was born in Ciempozuelos (Madrid, Spain). What began as a courageous response to a reality of abandonment and exclusion for women suffering from mental illness is now a living network that continues to care for and accompany those most in need with hospitality.
Our story began with a profound intuition: Saint Benedict Menni, together with María Josefa Recio and María Angustias Giménez, saw the suffering of so many women with mental illness who were marginalized by society and neglected by the healthcare system. Alongside a small group of eight sisters, they launched a mission built on two inseparable pillars: charity and science.
The beginnings were not easy. There were limited resources, means, and recognition. But there was no shortage of dedication, faith, and hospitality. A hospitality with a feminine face that has been, from the beginning, our way of being in the world.
Today, 144 years later, we remain convinced that this work is of the Spirit. We have expanded throughout Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia—wherever the wounds of body and soul still call for care, dignity, and love.
Today we share letters from around the world—voices that remind us that HOSPITALITY is a language that transcends borders and, from 1881 to today, remains more necessary than ever.
“Thank you for continuing to weave with us this beautiful story that knows no limits. Help us to remain faithful today with a vision for the future, contributing to the holistic healing of many, uniting Science and Charity.”
— Sr. Luzia Guadalupe da Silva
“Your unwavering commitment to Christ’s healing mission continues to inspire our service… The charism you entrusted to us still guides our path, especially in the care of those so often forgotten by the world.”
— Health Pastoral Team, Sisters Hospitallers of Condeixa
“You were and still are for all of us a beacon of compassion, humility, and hope… We continue to care with hands that welcome, with minds that understand, and with hearts that believe.”
— Hospitaller Community, Casa de Saúde Rainha Santa Isabel
“Your names echo through the halls of our centers, in every smile we offer, in every helping hand. You are not just figures of the past; you are the living heart that continues to guide our mission.”
— Rubén Darío Lozano Moreno, Latin America Province
“The first thing I thank for is having met all three of you. It’s impossible to think of one without the others, because your lives are bound by an unbreakable bond: the Love of hospitality.”
— Sr. Edith Marie Petit, Province of France
“Thank you so much for dedicating your lives to caring for people with mental illness. It was the greatest thing you could do—giving back dignity to so many who were once seen as a punishment, an animal, a shame to their families. God the Father must be so happy with you and this great work of hospitality and love that grew across continents—a work that changed mindsets and held states accountable for the care of these patients.”
— Sandra Burbano Torres, Latin America Province
Thank you for walking with us. Thank you for sustaining this mission with your prayer, work, generosity, and commitment. Let us continue building a story that heals, embraces, and transforms through hospitality.
