On March 24, 1908 St. Guanella (1842-1915), with a group of disciples, in the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Como, Italy, professed the perpetual vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. As founder, he was the leader of a newly formed congregation: the Servants of Charity.
Since 1878 Fr. Guanella, following the example of Benedict Cottolengo and John Bosco, had attempted to gather a group of youngsters in a boarding school to prepare them for religious life. However, he was forced to close his first school in Traona, Sondrio, Italy because of the Masonic civil authorities.
Again in 1888, in Como, Italy, Fr. Guanella cared for another group of boys with the intent of preparing them for religious life and priesthood. The first priest, Peter Moroni, was ordained by Cardinal Ferrari of Milan, on December 22, 1894. On June 9, 1895 John Calvi was ordained a priest as well. Silvio Vannoni and Joseph Roncoroni were ordained on May 30, 1896.
At that time, the members of the Institute professed private vows. They called themselves the Sons of the Sacred Heart, but because of a conflict with another Congregation by the same name, they changed to the Servants of Charity.
From these small beginnings the Congregation grew and spread to the four continents: Europe, America, Asia and Africa. Today, the Servants of Charity around the world have more than 500 confreres, priests and brothers and they serve the poor of every nationality.
Vision
Our very title, Servants of Charity, reminds us that Charity is the reason why the Lord gathers us together, consecrates us and sends us to the poor.
Through a lifetime commitment to Christ and His Church, we are called to celebrate God’s merciful love, which touches, heals and embraces everyone. United in a community of Brothers and Priests, we strive to make visible the Lord’s mercy, by becoming instruments of His Providence among the most fragile and neglected of our brothers and sisters who, like the Paralytic in the Gospel, cry out, “Lord, I have no one!”
Spirituality
Religious congregations are distinguished by their own specific spirit and charism. The Guanellian spirit and charism can be characterized as a living family spirit. The priests and brothers are, therefore, to acquire a profound spirit of union with God in order to nourish a genuine spirit of sacrifice, self-giving and dedication. These characteristics are the basic points on which the Guanellians live their own vocation.
To achieve this goal, the Servants of Charity have to grow in prayer and nourish a strong bond of fraternal love among themselves. Knowing their own abilities as well as their own deficiencies, they support each other for a better and more effective result in caring for their needy brothers and sisters.
To be a Guanellian means to carry the cross day after day with a spirit of self renunciation.
Religious life is very demanding and not an easy one. Strengthened by spiritual motivation the Servants of Charity are working joyfully knowing that everything they do, for the least of the brothers, they are doing for the Lord.
Mission
The Guanellian Mission is to take care of the poorest of the poor, those who have no one else to care for them. Following the Example of Christ, Good Shepherd and Good Samaritan, and walking in the footsteps of our Founder, St. Louis Guanella, we are searching and caring for the poor, the suffering, the abandoned, and the wounded members of God’s family.
The Servants of Charity are concerned in a special way with children and youth who are materially and morally abandoned; the elderly who, deprived of all other human support, have no way to continue alone; persons with developmental disabilities, whom our tradition calls ‘good children’, and who do not have adequate care; and an apostolate of prayer for the suffering and dying throughout the world. The Congregation devotes itself to caring for these souls both physically and spiritually, combining the ministry of evangelization with active expressions of aid to the poor.
The poorest and most vulnerable ones are our precious “treasures,” as St. Guanella said, “take in the most abandoned of all, have him sit at the table with you and make him one of your own, because this is Jesus Christ.” By dedicating ourselves entirely to the fulfillment of this mission, the Servants of Charity find their way to sanctification.
Integral Promotion of the Human Person
The promotion of the whole person, according to each one's capabilities, is the main objective of our work.
We therefore safeguard the physical well-being of people and offer, in cases of illness, as fas as possible, suitable treatment and assistance. We implement these efforts even, when humanly speaking, we can't expect improvement.
The development and psychological welfare of the whole person is also our purpose.
We strive to keep alive and to increase awareness of human dignity and vocation, helping to open souls to the joy of the gift of life. In the greatest possible measure, each person's potential needs to be stimulated, even in those individuals whose intellectual , affective and decision-making capabilities appear most limited.
In particular, we seek to guide each toward the formation of a good heart, capable of a sincere and wide acceptance of others, sensitive to needs and available for fraternal assistance.
At the same time, we provide guidance for people toward a deeper knowledge and love of God perceived and loved as a provident Father, as well as always to an ever more lively and joyous experience of Him. This, declared our Founder, is the ultimate intention of education.
We are convinced that, in Jesus, the human person may reach the highest degree of relationship with God and fullness of happiness. We strive to promote openness to faith in Him, even to the point of Christian sanctity, while greatly respecting the religious choices of each.
The goal of total enhancement does not only consider individuals, but also social groups and the people among whom we live.
Consequently, our action aims at their material, moral, spiritual and religious advancement, always respectful of their history and culture.
The Servants of Charity priest and brother seeks to be formed “by the Ways of the Heart”:
Our Spirit is to love the Father revealed in the Heart of Christ pierced on the cross and present in the Eucharist and the poor whom we serve.
Our mission is to spread the merciful love of God the Father by serving the poor:
...as our motto says, “In all things love.”
We are present in many countries: North, Central and South America, Africa, Asia and Europe. As our founder said, “The whole world is your homeland.” We see the suffering Jesus in the Poor, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.” Mt 25: 40
Vocational needs of each applicant will be individually considered. Applicants should apply in their native country.