On 15 October starts the 70th General Chapter of the Order in Częstochowa, Poland.

It is the most important event in the life of our institution, because the Chapter has supreme authority within the Order and is, therefore, the body with prime responsibility for the guidance of our Institute in carrying out the mission that the Lord and the Church have entrusted to us.

It is a unique and profound experience of collegiality and synodality under the sign of the charism of hospitality. The entire St John of God family, all its members, represented by the Brothers and coworkers who participate in the Chapter, examine the state of the Order from a broad perspective and seek answers, in the light of the Word of God, to the present and future challenges that the world and the Church present us with, in order to breathe new life into the charismatic impulse of our founder, St John of God, in the different realities and cultures in which we operate.

Preparations for this decisive event have been underway throughout the Order for over a year. The whole Order is supporting this preparation in prayer and with the work of the various Sensing Groups that have been formed in all the Provinces of the Order. We need everyone's help, encouragement, ideas, suggestions and, above all, prayers so that the Chapter can fulfil the goals and expectations it has set itself under the motto “HOSPITALITY IN A CHANGING WORLD”.

In order for all members of the Family of St John of God to feel committed to this important event and to actively participate in it, good communication is essential. We live in a society in which communication via the media and especially social networks plays an essential role.

It is in this spirit that I present to you this website, which we have created especially for the General Chapter and which from now on will be a place of information and communication about the life of the Order and everything related to the forthcoming General Chapter. Before and during the Chapter, we will keep you informed on this site about the Chapter and the decisions that will be taken.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Communications Team of the General Chapter who have created this medium and will continue to fill it with content so that all members of our Hospitaller Family and all interested parties are kept informed of the latest developments. Good communication is important so that all feel included in this precious experience of synodality from now on and know that we want to walk this path together, listening to each other and being open to what the Spirit of the Lord has to say to us to continue serving the sick, poor and needy of our world, true to the charism of St John of God.

Bro. Jesús Etayo

Prior General