In case you are wondering, NO, I did not round up the Sisters for this photo!!  It is from their Guesthouse Bulletin.  With the wild rain we’ve been having these past few days,I doubt we could snap a picture between the torrential downpours!   Residing in such a faith-filled guest house is a perfect place during my time in Lugano.

The Community has been in Lugano for over 93 years.  Their ministry of hospitality enlivens what you read in their bulletin:

“Our vocation is to always be in the joy that comes from the Lord, the joy of having met HIM, our first love, and this joy that we live and seek, we would like to pass it on to the people we meet with every day, with a smile on our lips, a smile that comes from the heart, as our Holy Father Francis rightly suggests, without joy in our hearts we cannot call ourselves Christians.”

As I watch the Sisters interaction with the guests that stay for as short as one night or for a more extended stay like myself, their spiritual joy in their religious vocation is immediately evident.  They manifest inner peace that arises from their solitude and communal prayer throughout the day.

The calming world within the Casa grounds is in stark contrast to the frenetic activity without.  Their location is at a major intercession off one of the major arteries into Lugano, a city of 63,000.

Since the Community completely runs the ministry of the guesthouse, some of the Sisters are “behind the scenes” and not as visible as others.  As I mentioned previously, the house is nicely decorated, absolutely immaculate, and whoever the cooks are, they do one excellent job.  Non-Catholic guests were spending their first time here and were amazed at the quality of the service and consistent cuisine.  Sister Maria from the Philippines  is always so pleasant when greeting the guests.