The Franciscan Hospice
Palma de Gandia
Spain

Appeal for Help

Many of us know very little about the Franciscan Order or its early origins before St Francis. Some historical writings talk of its early years when much effort was directed to appealing for funds for the ransoming of Christian slaves captured during the early wars against the Moors. Later, much of its edict was towards the care of the sick and improving the state of the very basic hospitals of the time.

FRANCIS OF ASSISI was the son of a rich cloth merchant.He has been described in his younger years as a brawler, some-time soldier and adventurer. During an imprisonment in Perugia, he is purported to have had a religious experience with Christ calling upon him to relinquish his worldly life. Once free again, Francis took his religion seriously, he followed the Gospels and made Jesus Christ his literal example. He forsook high living, begged for his sustenance, and preached purity and peace in the streets. Visited hospitals and served the sick. He began to attract followers in 1209 and, with papal blessing, founded the Franciscans in 1212.

Our appeal is for help for two young Franciscan Brothers who have given their lives over to building a Hospice for destitute elderly men, many of whom are physically and/or mentally disabled.

These Brothers came to Palma de Gandia in the Valencian Province of Spain some five years ago when an old delapidated building was left to the Order by a local man. Since that day they have lived and worked to build the house into a home.

They get no government help, they accept no wages, they have no time off. With donations from local people, businesses and the many volunteers from the surrounding district, they wash, cloth, feed and care for the various illnesses and needs of some 34 patients.

Hospital Project

As if this were not a full time commitment, these two Brothers have been working in any spare time available, together with volunteers, in the building of a hospital on site to extend their ability to care more effectively for their continually expanding patient community.
Regretfully, the building work for the new hospital and related facilities has come to a halt at the moment because money has run out. The Brothers remain optimistic. Their faith keeps them going and they are remarkably cheerful. No matter how long it takes, they know that eventually the new hospital will become reality.

Donation

A local Spanish business has donated a brand new minibus. This assists tremendously in enabling the Brothers to take the residents for the occasional outing and, more importantly, to local hospitals for their treatment as and when necessary.

Volunteers

The Brothers together with a tremendous group of volunteers, have a daily rota to take care of cooking, nursing, cleaning, building etc.
The volunteers also take care of appeals and collecting donations of everyday needful items such as packets of long life foods, biscuits, fruit juice, UHT milk, adult nappies, mattress protectors, towels, sheets and blankets (old or new) for single beds. Also soap, shampoo, shaving foam and disposable razors, toilet rolls, disinfectant, fly spray and cleaning materials. Additionally they appeal for and collect second hand clothing for men - wind proof jackets, jumpers and particularly loose fitting jogger bottoms.

For Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the volunteers prepared and delivered food together with gifts for all the residents and the Brothers. For kindness the people here are without peers. God bless them for their kindness.

Will you help?

Remember that the Centre does not receive any official state help. They operate totally outside the system, such as it is in Spain. The Brothers and the residents rely totally on charity and providence.

I can confirm that no money received is spent on wages, administration (other than paying for food, electricity and essential services). No fee is taken by this website publisher for its assistance and full records are kept of all donations and are available for inspection at any time.

Visitors are welcome at the hospice. If you would like further information about the work of the Franciscan Hospice please contact:

Stephen or Linda Carden on (00 34) 96 280 7483 or Email scarden@wanadoo.es

Alternatively phone Maurice R Hamlin. 00 34 – 96 296 0920 or Email hamlin@wanadoo.es

Postal Donations may be sent directly to :-

Centro de Acogida, San Francisco de Asis,
Pla de Vernisa,
Palma de Gandia,
Valencia
SPAIN

They should be annotated: In Aid of The Franciscan Hospice, Palma de Gandia

With our grateful thanks