This article originally appeared in the magazine ‘Jesuits & Friends’
By Laura Angarita, International Programmes Officer at Jesuit Missions
Matteo Ricci, the first Jesuit missionary to arrive in China, dedicated his life to fostering cultural and academic exchange between China and the West.
His legacy of service and compassion lives on today through the work of Casa Ricci, an organisation set-up in the late 1950s in Macau under the visionary leadership of Father Luis Ruiz SJ.
Casa Ricci began its mission by caring for refugees and migrants coming to Macau from Mainland China. Later, it extended its services to care for the elderly, support individuals with mental and physical disabilities, and provide education for social workers.
At the beginning of this century, its reach expanded to serve persons affected by leprosy or living with HIV-AIDS in Mainland China. Today, Casa Ricci remains steadfast in its commitment to serving those most in need with compassion and dedication.
Jesuit Missions has partnered with Casa Ricci for more than ten years, supporting initiatives such as their HIV hospital programmes.
For me, as the International Programmes Officer of Jesuit Missions in Britain, partner visits go beyond monitoring projects.
They are opportunities to engage personally, reflect on the impact of our collaboration, and gain a deeper understanding of the challenges our partners face. These visits also strengthen the Ignatian relationship that grounds our shared mission and renew our commitment to the values we hold dear.
In November 2024, I had the privilege of visiting Casa Ricci and witnessing their extraordinary work first-hand.
During my two-week stay, I was profoundly moved by the palpable sense of hope and goodwill that infused every corner of their operations.
Casa Ricci closely collaborates with the local government and other religious volunteer organizations to deliver vital humanitarian care to individuals affected or infected by HIV and leprosy.
The Sisters overseeing daily care are a cornerstone of this work. They provide exceptional, personalised attention, creating care plans tailored to the unique medical, psychological, and social needs of each patient.
These plans include medical and psychological support, food assistance, and community-building activities that nurture connections among patients and their families.
Casa Ricci is led by an inspiring Argentinian Jesuit, Fr Fernando Aspiroz, who, much like Matteo Ricci, has devoted his life to his mission.
Drawing inspiration from Fr Ruiz, he serves those in greatest need and finds profound joy in bringing happiness to others.
One of the most meaningful aspects of my visit was meeting the Sisters who tirelessly dedicate themselves to this mission.
Although we faced a language barrier—I don’t speak Mandarin, and they don’t speak English—their passion and dedication transcended words.
It was impossible not to feel the intensity of their commitment and the deep care they extend to every patient.
What stood out to me most was the way the sisters build a sense of community that goes beyond the patients they care for each day.
“Their ability to provide compassionate care in such circumstances is both inspiring and a testament to their resilience and unwavering faith.”
Their humanistic approach provides hope and strength to overcome illness, while also encouraging family support. Additionally, they work tirelessly to break the stigma associated with diseases like HIV within families and the wider community.
Despite the many challenges they face—from being far from their own communities to working in difficult conditions with patients whose hygiene practices are sometimes rudimentary—the Sisters’ resolve never falters.
Their ability to provide compassionate care in such circumstances is both inspiring and a testament to their resilience and unwavering faith.
My visit reaffirmed the critical importance of Casa Ricci’s work and the profound impact it has on the individuals and families they serve. It was a reminder of the transformative power of compassion and the essential role partnerships like ours play in sustaining vital missions like theirs.
Another deeply moving aspect of my visit was the warmth and hospitality I experienced.
Everyone, from project staff to beneficiaries, welcomed me with open arms. It felt as though they had eagerly awaited this visit, and their joy in sharing their work and lives with me was evident. Their openness and kindness left me feeling deeply connected to the mission and its people.
I began this piece by mentioning Matteo Ricci and Fr Ruiz because their legacy resonated deeply during my visit.
Through organisations like Casa Ricci, their vision of compassion and service not only endures but transforms lives and fosters hope.
Casa Ricci’s work today is a faithful continuation of its teachings and a living embodiment of the Jesuit mission.
A Faith to Love with Hope, a reflection by Fr Fernando
Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say that the fruit of Faith is Love, the fruit of Love is service, and the fruit of service is Peace.
Although she did not mention it, Hope is certainly the word that triggers and makes all these connections “fruitful” or even possible.
Because a hopeless faith is incapable of engendering love, a hopeless love would never become service, and a hopeless service is sterile and would never give birth to real Peace.
Hope not only makes all these possible, but it is also the last and ultimate fruit of all these connections.
From the very beginning at Casa Ricci, we start things, projects or services out of apparently extremely hopeless situations, where deep despair, suffering, shame, lack of dignity and discrimination seem to be the rule, and not the exception.
But the somehow unexpected coming and presence of the Sisters among these situations start to change things, connecting and putting human lives into motion.
Their deep faith, gentle love and patient service bring forth a transforming power that brings light, warmth and meaning to these painful human situations.
This is none other than the transforming power of Hope that Teresa of Calcutta suggested without mentioning it.
Without the presence and witness of these courageous Sisters, none of these things would be possible. And without the support of Jesuit Missions, their presence wouldn’t be possible.
More news
‘A caged bird can still sing!’: Fr Joe Xavier SJ on Fr Stan Swamy SJ
Meeting held in Parliament calling for justice for late Jesuit priest and other BK-16 members
New environmental project looks to bring Madagascar to the forefront of climate negotiations
