Family Homes

Historical note

The first family home of the Community was opened in Coriano, near Rimini, Italy, on 3 July 1973. It was the realisation of Father Oreste’s intuition: ‘Give a family to those without one’.

What they are

A ‘family home’ is a residential and educational community, made in everything like a natural family. It is characterised by the stable presence of two parental figures - mother and father, or at least one of them - who chose to share their life in a continuous and self-giving way with people in need.

In this way we aim to answer the most profound and essential needs of the people welcomed into our homes: those of being loved and being important for somebody, ie the need to have a meaningful relationship with a mother and a father. In this way, the people welcomed do not feel as if they are merely being given assistance. They feel that they have been chosen and are important to their parental figures. Family homes welcome everybody, regardless of age, difficulties or background.

Therefore, in a family home, you can find brothers and sisters, uncles and aunties, grandparents, young and old people, normally able and differently able people and people with different kinds of psychological problems. The personal and meaningful relationship with the parental figures, together with the relationships built between the people welcomed, create a therapeutic environment that sooths and heals wounds, gives new life through love and helps to regain hope in life.

Family homes are run by members of the Community who choose this as their way of life after having recognised in themselves and chosen the specific vocation of the Community, which is inspired by the figure of Jesus Christ and approved by the Catholic Church. Together with the people responsible for the family home, there can be found other people who help and cooperate in various ways: volunteers in civil service, trainees from schools or universities, people who are verifying the Community’s vocation, volunteers, priests, consecrated people etc.

Where they are

Family homes are fully immersed in their local communities. They are guided by their Christian inspiration and cooperate with both private and public bodies. The authenticity of the initial, simple intuition of Father Oreste resulted in the remarkable growth of family homes in 25 countries worldwide. There are now 298 (of which 253 are in Italy).

Not just ‘family homes’

In order to respond to the needs of the poor, the Community of Pope John XXIII is always searching for new ways in which to share the life of the poor directly. In over 35 years of experience, the Community, in addition to family homes, has established 220 centres of various kinds and created 26 juridical bodies. Every day over 38,000 people sit at the Community’s table. At present, there are about 1,850 members of the Community worldwide.