On April 26-27, 2016 Grand Commander Fra’ Ludwig Hoffmann Von Rumerstein visited the Shrine of Pompeii and met with Archbishop Tommaso Caputo, Pontifical Delegate of the Shrine and Fra’ Luigi Naselli di Gela, the Grand Prior of Naples and Sicily of the Order of Malta.

While there, he visited the soup kitchen, Casa del Pellegrino or ‘House of the Pilgrim’ which is managed by the Grand Priory of Naples and Sicily.

The Pontifical Delegation handed over the soup kitchen in Pompeii to the Order’s Grand Priory of Naples and Sicily for the Sanctuary of Pompeii in November 2013. Renovations on the facilities were finished opened to the public in December 2014.

The Grand Commander toured the Centre and had lunch at the soup kitchen where 100 full meals are provided daily to the poor from Monday to Saturday. “Eating with these people and seeing firsthand what our Order does in favor of those most in need was really touching,” says the Grand Commander.

A group of 65 volunteers offer their services to the soup kitchen that was dedicated to His Holiness Pope Francis on the occasion of his visit to Pompeii on 21 March 2015.

On his visit, the Grand Commander was also shown the Shrine’s charitable works which included: a reception Centre for refugees, family homes for single mothers, orphanages hosting minors whose parents are in jail and who also receive an education with the help of social workers, volunteers and religious people, all belonging to the shrine.