The mission of St. John of God Community Services comes from their namesake, St. John of God.
Five hundred years ago, John Ciudad was born in Portugal, and worked as a shepherd, soldier, bookseller and laborer in North Africa and Europe. While living in Spain, he had an religious conversion.
At one point he was placed in a psychiatric hospital.
While there, Ciudad witnessed the inhumane treatment of the poor and disabled, and he desired to help them with compassionate, caring mental health care and treatment.
Inspired by their founder, today the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God operates more than 250 specialized hospitals and centers in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, North, and South America, in the belief that every person is an individual with the right to receive the appropriate educational, social, and rehabilitative programs.