Saint Benedict Menni was a man passionate about God and humanity, who devoted his entire life to practicing Hospitality. He dedicated his life to making the message of the Good Samaritan a reality.
“A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by robbers. (…) A Samaritan, traveling along the road, came to him, and when he saw him, he had compassion; he went to him, bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine, and placed him on his own mount, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.”
Faced with suffering and vulnerability, Benedict Menni did not pass by. He engaged in promoting comprehensive health, especially for people with mental illness, nurturing and expanding the practice of hospitality.
He was born in Milan, Italy, on March 11, 1841, to Luis Menni and Luisa Figini, as the fifth of fifteen siblings.
The example of the Brothers of Saint John of God caring for wounded soldiers arriving at the Milan station from Magenta—a service that Menni himself performed as a volunteer—shaped his decision to become a Brother of Saint John of God.
In 1860, he joined the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, changing his name from Ángel Hércules to Benito. He pursued philosophical and theological studies, first at the Seminary of Lodi and later at the Roman College (Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome). He was ordained a priest in 1866.
Pope Pius IX entrusted him with the complex mission of restoring the defunct Hospitaller Order in Spain, a task he began in 1867.
Following the restoration of the order in Spain, he also worked at the end of the 19th century to restore it in Portugal, and at the beginning of the 20th century, in Mexico. On May 31, 1881, he founded the Congregation of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
He died in Dinan, France, in 1914, and his remains rest in our “Motherhouse” located in Ciempozuelos, Madrid, Spain.
He was a man of inexhaustible charity and exceptional leadership skills. He always maintained a holistic view of the person, acting with creative generosity and seeking the well-being of the vulnerable.
On June 23, 1985, he was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II, and on November 21, 1999, he was canonized.
His holiness is a beacon for all who live the spirit of hospitality.
Courageous women who felt God’s call to dedicate their lives to the poor and sick.
Both born in Granada, inseparable friends united in the search for God, they were guided spiritually by Benito Menni. After many trials, in the summer of 1880, their prayers were answered. From Ciempozuelos (Madrid, Spain), Benito Menni extended the following invitation: “You may come, if you wish.”
And thus began the Hospitaller adventure with a female face…
They settled in Ciempozuelos and soon adopted the motto that summarized their spiritual path: pray, work, endure, suffer, love God, and keep silent.
On May 31, 1881, they took the habit, marking the beginning of the Congregation of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On October 30, 1883, María Josefa Recio passed away, a victim of Hospitaller charity, leaving a spiritual legacy that continues to inspire our charism. From her spiritual testament:
“My dear Sisters, I wish and ask God that charity always reign in this holy community…. Show great charity toward the sick, serving them with love, considering that they represent Our Lord Jesus Christ.”
María Angustias left her testimony in the Report on the Origins of the Congregation, a historical and theological legacy of the beginnings of the life and mission of the Hospitaller Sisters.
Together with the first eight sisters, they offered the female face of Hospitality: people committed through faith to the merciful liberation of women.
They, along with Benedict Menni, formed the founding group dedicated to responding to a neglected sector of society: women with mental illness.
Two women who shaped Hospitaller life through charity and prayer, service, and unity of hearts.
María Josefa Recio was born in Granada, Spain, on March 19, 1846. Her childhood was deeply shaped by Christian values and a family education centered on solidarity. She married young but was widowed at the age of 33, an event that marked the beginning of a new path.
In 1871, she began a deep human and spiritual friendship with María Angustias Giménez Vera. Together, and following the call of Father Benedict Menni, they left their hometown and arrived in Ciempozuelos (Madrid) on June 21, 1880. There, on May 31, 1881, the Congregation of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded.
María Josefa became the first Superior General of the Congregation. Her life was brief but profoundly meaningful: she passed away on October 30, 1883, from wounds sustained in an act of heroic charity while caring for a woman with mental illness.
Her legacy endures in the Hospitaller spirit of the Congregation and in her spiritual testament, which reflects her faith, humility, and unconditional dedication.
On May 10, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI signed the decree recognizing the heroic virtues she lived, officially declaring her Venerable.
Father of goodness and mercy, thank You for calling Sister María do Monte to the generous service of the sick and to the reparation of the Heart of Your beloved Son, wounded by the sins of humanity. Grant me, through the intercession of Your Servant, the grace I ask for, if it is for Your greater glory.
Through our Lord.
Amen.
The Venerable Sister Maria do Monte was born in Madeira on April 10, 1897, in the town of Ladeira, and was the third-to-last of ten siblings. At the age of 17, she became an orphan and had to take on the responsibility of caring for the household and her family. She expressed her desire to become a religious sister, but faced opposition from her family, who relied on her care.
After ten years of waiting, at the age of 29, she left Funchal by ship, accompanied by Sister Verónica de Jesús Marturet, Superior General of the Congregation, to join the Congregation of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
On the day of her religious profession, the purpose of her life was revealed by Jesus through the symbol of a ring:
“Just at the moment when the priest placed the crown of flowers on my head, our Lord appeared to me smiling with a gold ring on a tray. He approached, took my hand, placed the ring on my finger, and said: ‘Receive, my beloved spouse, this ring, sign of our espousal. You shall be the spouse of my heart. […] This ring will remain forever on your finger, though invisible.’” (Man. I, p. 3)
Sister Maria do Monte dedicated much of her life to serving the sick and most vulnerable at the Cámara Pestana Health House and at the Sagrada Familia Psychopedagogical Rehabilitation Center in Madeira. Those who knew her described her as special, always cheerful, attentive, kind, simple, humble, and fully devoted to everyone.
She died at the age of 66 on December 18, 1963. Her cause for beatification and canonization was opened on March 4, 2007. On March 23, 2023, the decree recognizing her “heroic virtues” was approved, and she was declared Venerable by Pope Francis.
Father of goodness and mercy, thank You for having called Sister Maria do Monte to the generous service of the sick and to the reparation of the Heart of Your beloved Son, wounded by the sins of humanity.
Grant me, through the intercession of Your Servant, the grace I ask of You, if it is for Your greater glory.
Through our Lord.
Amen.
