About the Province
The Past
After the death of John of God in 1550, his friend and colleague Anton Martin succeeded him as Prior General. The Order spread rapidly throughout Spain, helped by the support of King Philip II. In 1572 it was officially approved as the Order of the Brothers Hospitaller by Pope Pius V. It further expanded into other countries in Europe and further afield. John of God was canonised 1690 and was declared the patron saint of the dying and of all hospitals in 1898.
The seed which John planted has, over more than five centuries, taken root in 54 countries. His life and message continues to draw those who wish to dedicate their whole lives to his ideal and to inspire more than 90,000 men and women to work with them in the ministry of bringing healing and hope to those in need .
West European Province
In 1877 four Brothers from the French Province came to Ireland and began what is today known as the St. John of God Hospital in Stillorgan. With the arrival of more young men who came to join them as Brothers, services in the areas of mental health and disability were established in other parts of Ireland and developed over the years.
It was a similar situation in England also founded by the French Province in 1880, setting up a hospital in Scorton in Yorkshire, and, in a similar manner to Ireland, moving into other parts of England to set up services there also in the areas of mental health and disability.
In 1930 the Anglo Irish Province was formed, separating from the French Province and becoming an independent entity. England and Ireland became separate Provinces in 1950 but a strong relationship and interaction continued between the two Provinces.
Over the years both the Irish Province and English Province, as well as developing and improving the services in their respective countries, went on to establish the Order in other countries.
1947 – Irish and English Provinces, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Sydney, established the Order in Australia, setting up a centre for children with disabilities in Morisset, NSW
1958 – Irish Province opened a medical centre in Kwangju, Korea
1960 – English Province established a hospital in Lusaka, Zambia
1965 – Irish Province established Community Services in New Jersey, USA
1993 – Irish Province established Mental Health Services in Mzuzu, Malawi
After the death of John of God in 1550, his friend and colleague Anton Martin succeeded him as Prior General. The Order spread rapidly throughout Spain, helped by the support of King Philip II. In 1572 it was officially approved as the Order of the Brothers Hospitaller by Pope Pius V. It further expanded into other countries in Europe and further afield. John of God was canonised 1690 and was declared the patron saint of the dying and of all hospitals in 1898.
The seed which John planted has, over more than five centuries, taken root in 54 countries. His life and message continues to draw those who wish to dedicate their whole lives to his ideal and to inspire more than 90,000 men and women to work with them in the ministry of bringing healing and hope to those in need .
The Present
In the mid-eighties the Irish Province undertook a renewal process to look at its evolvement into the future in terms of its services and governance.
This process included not only the Brothers, but all of the St. John of God family, clients, residents, patients and their family members, staff, volunteers, funders, regulatory bodies and experts in the fields of organisational theory and development. One of the major priorities identified during the process was to re-educate everyone about the mission, values and story of St. John of God and a review of the governance, leadership and management structures.
In the years that followed this bore fruit in building up a cohort of lay personnel throughout the services who were committed to the mission, ethos and values of the Order. While in the past it was the Brothers who had undertaken leadership roles in the Province, today many of these roles are in the hands of our lay co-workers who have the skills and experience to lead the services and preserve the St. John of God Hospitaller identity.
Again, this has stood us in good stead in the light of the situation in which we, and indeed most religious orders find themselves today, with ageing communities and a lack of vocations. For these reasons, in 2010, it was decided that the Irish and English Provinces would merge and become the West European Province. Malawi also forms part of this Province.
The Future
Over the past five centuries, the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God has continued, through revolution, war and peace, through plague and famine, through events which changed the course of history and changed and shaped our world. These historical events in turn changed and shaped the Order also. No doubt this will continue to be so into the future, but the one constant is and always will be, the work and mission of John, to bring love and compassion, healing and hope to those who most need it.