Some 150 people a day make use of the soup kitchen inaugurated by the Order of Malta’s Spanish Association on 14 January in Seville.

Dedicated to Saint-Jean d’Acre, the new soup kitchen is open Monday to Friday from 5 to 7 pm for the evening meal. According to the archdiocese of Seville’s figures, this completes the opening hours of soup kitchens in the city. There are over a hundred volunteers – young people, adults, men and women – who take turns to prepare and serve the meals.

Because of the economic crisis the number of people – both Spanish and immigrants – who cannot afford a hot meal is constantly increasing. For many years the Order of Malta’s Spanish Association has been running two soup kitchens in Madrid, feeding over 500 people a day.

The President of the Spanish Association, Conte di Orgaz, the mayor of the city of Seville, Juan Ignacio Zoido, and numerous members of the Order were present at the inauguration. The new facility was blessed by the Archbishop of Seville, Monsignor Juan José Asenjo.