Casa Ricci Social Services
| Established | 1951 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Care for the neediest and for their children |
| Location | |
Founder | Fr. Luis Ruiz Suárez, SJ |
| Affiliations | Jesuit, Catholic |
| Website | CasaRicci |
Casa Ricci Social Services began in 1951 when Spanish Jesuit Luis Ruiz Suárez opened the Jesuit residence in Macau, China, to war refugees.[1] With their resettlement Ruiz addressed the situation of those suffering from leprosy, and later to those with AIDS. After his death in 2011 his work was carried on by the Ricci Social Services Foundation.[2]
Beginnings
The roots of Jesuit social work in Macau go back to 1569 when Melchior Carneiro, S.J., the first bishop of Macau, founded there the first Western-style hospitals in Asia.[3]
In 1951 the Spanish Jesuit Fr. Luis Ruiz Suárez came to Macau and found it flooded with refugees from World War II. He opened the Jesuit residence to these refugees and initiated the Casa Ricci Social Services center. The center provided the refugees with food, shelter, job help, and document processing. For their children the centre set up the “Colegio Mateus Ricci School”[4] and “Escola de Santa Teresa do Menino Jesus School.”[5]
In the 1960s, the refugees had moved on and Ruiz shifted the services of the centre to the elderly, founding “Betania Home” for men[6] and “Santa Maria Home” for women.[7] Ruiz also extended services to the north of the peninsula and Taipa Island to alleviate family poverty and child labor.
In 1971 he enlisted the support of Caritas Macau, with help from Caritas International, to take Ricci House under its umbrella. while he continued extending outreach efforts.[5][8]
Emphasis on leprosy
Ruiz's work with he poor went on unabated. In the mid-1980’s he extended Casa Ricci Social Services to lepers at Dajin Island of Taishan city in Guangdong province.[9] He began by obtaining medical care, food, water, and help with housing, then he found a group of religious sisters who would live among them and serve their needs.
He further established leper colonies deep in the mountains of Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in the north, bringing dependable drinking water and new housing, and, again, the help of a group of sisters. Ruiz emphasized reintegrating into the society the children of the lepers, securing their education along with other children. He established orphanages where they would not be associated with the stigma of leprosy. Ruiz went on to establish charitable institutions for the elderly, the disabled, the mentally handicapped, and to educate social workers throughout much of China.[1]
Emphasis on AIDS
With advances in medical treatment for lepers and the shrinking number of those impacted, Ruiz turned his attention to those suffering from AIDS, establishing a care center in Hongjiang, Hunan province, with the children living and being educated with other children.
When Ruiz became afflicted with diabetes and was bound to a wheelchair, he handed over his executive position in Caritas Macau to Mr. Poon Chi Ming. He continued as best he could moving between Macau and mainland China, in his outreach to those with leprosy or HIV/AIDS. The center's work found continued funding through the Ricci Social Service Foundation. Ruiz died in 2011 and is buried at St. Miguel Arcanjo Cemetery.
In 2015 the Foundation was running 50 programs distributed in 13 provinces of China with 64 leprosy centers for a total of 4,000 patients and 5 HIV homes with a total of 300 HIV+ mothers/adult. It was also caring for 1500 students from poor families.[1]
References
- ^ a b c Story. Accessed 8 April 2016.
- ^ Jesuit Residence, 4 Agnostinho. Accessed 8 April 2016.
- ^ Carneiro. Accessed 8 April 2016.
- ^ School. Accessed 8 April 2016.
- ^ a b Caritas. Accessed 8 April 2016.
- ^ Betania. Accessed 8 April 2016.
- ^ Santa Maria. Accessed 8 April 2016.
- ^ Caritas, Ricci House. Accessed 7 April 2016.
- ^ City Guide. Accessed 7 April 2016.