Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Agenzia Fides) – Dedication to the poor, the sick, the suffering...it is the same that they have practiced always. The Brothers of Saint John of God dedicate their lives to an apostolate with zeal and intensity, with the certainty that they serve Christ in the poor, the sick, and the suffering whom they meet in the street. Their missionary presence in the Filipino islands dates back to 20 years ago. “In Manila, we began our apostolate with a medical center that was free-of-charge, to fight tuberculosis. It received its first patients in September 1988, and over the years, it has become the Saint John of God Polyclinic and Social Health Center,” reads a message sent to Agenzia Fides by Brother Giuseppe Magliozzi, one of the brothers who was present in the foundation of the community.
To celebrate this 20th anniversary, the Prior, Br. Albino Benedetto C. Tomboc, with the enthusiastic support of the community of Brothers and all the Center's collaborators, organized a series of initiatives commemorating these two decades of service to the most needy, “always under the inspiration of Saint John of God, who loved offering an integral assistance to the people, whether it be in health materials or in human or social needs,” said Br. Giuseppe.
For the occasion, the various sectors of the Center have offered special assistance to patients and held a meeting on health education. The celebrations began with a Mass, followed by a brief historical talk recalling all those who have supported the Polyclinic since its beginnings. There was also a brief documentary that recalled the twenty-year history, both of the religious community of Brothers, as well as the health center. It also covered the history of the School for the Deaf, which has helped many youth and children in its almost ten years of functioning. One part was dedicated especially to Family Consultation, opened by the Pro-Life Association in 1996, with the support of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department in the Center.
The Brothers' presence in the Philippine goes back several centuries. The religious reached the islands in 1611 and were there until 1888, when they interrupted their service there. A century later, in 1985, Cardinal Jaime Sin (then Cardinal of Manila) asked the Superior General of the Brothers to return the community to the Philippines. In 1988, a small community was started in a building in Quiapo, which is one of the poorest neighborhoods in Manila's historic center. There, the Brothers began the Center in September 1988. At first, the structure worked as a Health Clinic for tuberculosis treatment, until it acquired more space to build a structure that could serve as a Polyclinic.
The Sisters of St. John of God, also of the same spiritual family, began two centers for formation and assistance in 1988, also in the Philippines: one in Manila, and the other in Cebu. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 21/10/2008)
