The bishop of Funchal, Mgr. Nuno Brás, presided over the Eucharist for the 53rd anniversary of Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, in Madeira, on September 9, 2026, in the chapel of the hospital unit. The celebration, which had as its motto "For 53 years, dedicated to what matters most: Life," gathered healthcare professionals and institutional leaders, including the regional secretary of Health and Civil Protection, Micaela Fonseca de Freitas, and the president of the Board of Directors of SESARAM, Márcia Gomes.
In his homily, Mgr. Nuno Brás reflected on the fragility of human existence and the passage of time, citing the words of St. Paul that "time is brief." The bishop emphasized that the hospital is a place where one realizes that "this world is fleeting" and that "everything is very brief," adding that the more years one lives, the more one understands this reality.
The prelate also explained the apparent contradiction between situations of pain and human suffering and the happiness announced in the Beatitudes, noting that poverty, hunger, and weeping are evils, but that it is in fragility and illness that one perceives God at one's side, as a source of comfort and strength. Mgr. Nuno Brás also thanked the service provided to the Madeiran population, the healthcare professionals, and visitors to the region.
Dr. Nélio Mendonça Hospital, initially called Hospital Distrital do Funchal (Funchal District Hospital), opened its doors on September 9, 1973, thus completing 53 years of activity.
