April 24
Benito Menni (1841–1914)
religious
An Italian hospital priest, Benito Menni discovered his vocation while helping to transport wounded people from the Battle of Magenta.
Biography
He entered the Order of Saint John of God and was sent to restore it in Spain, where he opened hospitals and renewed care for the sick, especially people with mental illnesses. Together with María Josefa Recio and María Angustias Giménez she founded the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He faced wars, misunderstandings and accusations, maintaining that assistance had to combine professional competence, dignity and Christian charity.
Practical advice
Talk today about a person with mental illness with the same respect with which you would talk about any other patient and correct a derogatory expression.