Missionaries and small miracles of charity on the island of Flores
‘On the island of Flores, small miracles have very human dimensions: a packet of rice, a school notebook, a door and a window instead of a chain, a centre for lonely and abandoned people, a house for students far from home. All of this enables us missionaries to transform simple gestures into lasting change: serenity, education, support, and dignity’ – Father Luigi Galvani
Sunday 16 November is the World Day for the Poor, a time to hold in prayer and stand in solidarity with all who live in poverty around the world. Fr Luigi Galvani, a Camillian missionary, spent years serving the poorest people on the island of Flores, Indonesia, before moving recently to the St Camillus Social Centre in Kupang. He shared the following thoughts on his mission to live among and serve the most disadvantaged people.
‘For us Camillian missionaries in Indonesia, this day is the culmination of a year full of small signs of hope and concrete acts of charity. On the island of Flores, the Camillians live out their charism where vulnerability is most evident: alongside the sick, the poor, and families who struggle daily for their dignity. The Camillians combine basic medical care with listening, spiritual guidance, and social initiatives for those excluded from public services or living in remote villages.
Missionaries are at the forefront of caring for the poorest of our sisters and brothers and Fr Luigi emphasises the difference each of us can make through our prayers and support which enable small acts of charity to transform the lives of those who feel abandoned and forgotten.
‘Through the St Camillus Social Centre in Kupang, 160 children and their families received monthly food aid in the form of rice, oil, pulses, and other basic foodstuffs. This was not just food, but also security, allowing them to cope with life’s challenges with serenity and hope.’
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Meanwhile, the centre also helps people living with long term mental illnesses access care and safe accommodation, and provides poor students with small scholarships, uniforms and notebooks, enabling them to continue their education and dream of a better future. Fr Luigi also shared:
‘The construction of the St Camillus House of Charity is currently underway near our seminary. It will provide free accommodation, basic medical care, and social support for abandoned or homeless people. And near the city, a study centre will offer young students from remote villages on the island a place to stay so that they can go to school. They will be provided with a clean bed, academic support, and a community that will help them grow to their full potential.’
Father Luigi concludes by noting that behind every project there are faces, stories, and rediscovered smiles. He says:
‘The solidarity of generous donors not only transforms the lives of poorest but also inspires us missionaries to serve with an even more missionary and Gospel-centred heart.’
‘One of the highest forms of living the Gospel’
In his recent encyclical Dilexi te Pope Leo XIV says:
‘I express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have chosen to live among the poor, not merely to pay them an occasional visit but to live with them as they do. Such a decision should be deemed one of the highest forms of evangelical life.’
On the World Day of the Poor, we stand in solidarity and hope with our poorest sisters and brothers around the world, and with the missionaries who dedicate themselves to the care of those communities. We pray that each of us will play our part in supporting all who live in poverty, through the Christian love we share. As Pope Leo reminds us:
‘Christian love breaks down every barrier, brings close those who were distant, unites strangers, and reconciles enemies … Through your work, your efforts to change unjust social structures or your simple, heartfelt gesture of closeness and support, the poor will come to realize that Jesus’ words are addressed personally to each of them: “I have loved you” (Rev 3:9).’ (Dilexi Te)