In our World

The Hospitaller Order is present today in 50 countries on five continents. There are over 400 centers with 1,200 Brothers, 53,000 co-workers as well as many generous benefactors who faithfully support us in our mission.

We recognize that we are here because of the past. The Brothers of St. John of God in California are proud of their Hospitaller Tradition. Inspired by this tradition and in light of our founder’s charism, the Brothers have been engaged in a variety of ministries since 1941. Today, the Brothers in Southern California sponsor a variety of healthcare services.

Our story: tradition and compassion

Our Love is Ageless The Brothers of St. John of God, whose legacy of love and compassion grew out of the experiences of our founder, St. John of God, who made a choice to transform his life and care for the sick and the abandoned.

St. John of God - A Man of Compassion

In his times In 1539, Granada, Spain was a bustling, city, growing ever more wealthy due the explorations of the adventuresome explorers of the New World. However, as the rich became richer, the poor became poorer, more forgotten and ignored. The sick, the old and the handicapped often were left in the gutter to beg or to die.

In His Suffering Hospitalized for what people imagined was a mental breakdown, he discovered the redemptive value of suffering. Transformed by this experience he cared for others who anguished and suffered.

In His House of God He opened his own hospice and called it a House of God. John of God understood that love has a healing and therapeutic value for those who suffer, this became his mission.

In his Doing Good Juan Ciudad, a man who would later be called “of God” went about the streets of Granada imploring all he met “Do good to yourself by doing good for others.”

In His legacy of Hospitality John died at 55 years of age on March 8, 1550 of pneumonia, after he had plunged into a river to save a young man from drowning.

In his Sanctity In 1690, Pope Alexander VII canonized him. In 1886, Pope Leo XIII declared him the heavenly patron of all hospitals and the sick. He is also recognized as patron of nurses.

For more about St. John of God and the Hospitaller Brothers, visit www.hospitallers.org
St. Joseph Health & Retirement--Ojai | St. John of God Healthcare Services--Victorville | General Curia--Rome