Hospitality in Action: Serving With Heart

Episode 6: Renewing Our Neighbor: Hospitality in Action at Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center

Take a deep breath in the beautiful hills of Los Angeles at the Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center, where hospitality comes with a chance to reset, refocus, and be renewed. Named after Our Lady of Sorrows, the retreat center holds a special place for those who are burdened and seeking healing. The staff explain that the retreat center itself has experienced its own share of hardship, overcoming trials through faith and a thriving community that exemplifies a resilient spirit of hospitality and love.

In this episode of Hospitality in Action, retreat center director Fr. Febin Barose explains how he infuses biblical hospitality into the daily activities and events at Mater Dolorosa. From the beautiful grounds to an attentive kitchen staff to personalized guest interactions, a spirit of compassion and welcome are practiced in earnest. As our host Nick muses, it’s easy to see why somebody may not want to leave after experiencing the blessing of this haven of meditation and beauty.

Hospitality in Action: Serving With Heart

Episode 5: Welcoming Our Neighbor: Hospitality in Action at St. Francis Center

Homeless outreach meets young adult ministry in this episode of Hospitality in Action. The folks at St. Francis Center team up with the Young Ministering Adults from Santa Monica to feed those on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles, showing radical hospitality and welcome to those who rarely experience it in their daily lives.

Practicing the generosity of St. Francis of Assisi, the team at the center aims to bring his 12th century values into the modern day. Volunteers and leaders share their stories of ministering to the underserved every day, reflecting on how even just offering an ear to someone can change someone’s life for the better. While the guests benefit from this ministry, the hearts of those doing the serving are also changed for the better as their work inspires gratitude, compassion, and a new perspective on life.

Hospitality in Action: Serving With Heart

Episode 4: Healing Our Neighbor: Hospitality in Action at the Pregnancy Help Center

If you feel like unplanned pregnancy is a walk in the dark without much support, you can take encouragement from the ladies at the Pregnancy Help Center in Torrance, California. Hospitality is front of mind at the clinic, where the staff members serve mothers, fathers, and babies to ensure health, resources, and quality of life during and after delivery.  

In this episode of Hospitality in Action, we discover what places like Pregnancy Help Center are doing to reshape how we think of pregnancy care, especially for people in crisis or unplanned pregnancies. This is a place where people can cry, be heard, and not fear being judged for their situation. The ladies interviewed in this episode all have the same goal: Being the hands and feet of Jesus to anyone who walks through the clinic’s doors, showing his love for all life, especially the unborn. 

The Pregnancy Help Center is a pro-life organization that does not perform or refer for abortions. 

Hospitality in Action: Serving With Heart

Episode 3: Assisting Our Neighbor: Hospitality in Action at Nazareth House

See hospitality that spans several generations at Nazareth House in Los Angeles. In this episode of Hospitality in Action, we experience how dedicated, human-centric care transforms a senior living facility into a home. From independent living to hospice care, the assistance at Nazareth House has transformed both the lives of its staff and residents.

The Sisters of Nazareth founded this house in Los Angeles as a way to help struggling women. Fast forward to today, and the sisters are tending to several seniors who come looking for community and a home for their later phases of life. We sit down with one of the nuns, the executive director, the medical team, and some of the residents themselves who testify to the blessing of being seen and loved as part of a demographic that is often overlooked, in a place where people treat everyone with dignity and personalized care.

Hospitality in Action: Serving With Heart

Episode 2: Housing Our Neighbor: Hospitality in Action at St. James Inn

In this episode of Hospitality in Action, we discover how important your environment is in healing from an illness. For people traveling for prolonged medical care, finding a long-term place to stay adds more stress. Enter the St. James Inn, where an atmosphere of home, free of charge, is a key part of restoring hospital patients, and their families, to health.

Founded by Paulist priest Fr. Pat Traynor, the inn sought to help patients and their families in need of a place to stay during prolonged medical treatment. From 1989 until now, the inn has served nearly 2000 guests, providing a haven for healing and a home away from home for people all over the world. A faith-filled worldview is at the inn’s heart, practicing a biblical sense of hospitality to people who need it most.

Hospitality in Action: Serving With Heart

Episode 1: Feeding Our Neighbor: Hospitality in Action at John O’Groats Diner

Experience how great comfort food meets top-notch service at John O’Groats on this episode of Hospitality in Action. Restaurant owner Paul Tyler explains how to practice hospitality in growing a business, connecting with your clients, and creating a neighborhood feel in the middle of a busy city like Los Angeles. 

Named after a village in Scotland, John O’Groats opened in the 1980s with Paul’s parents at the helm, creating what would become a local Los Angeles favorite. Running over 40 years strong, the diner is a place where people are treated like family, excellence is the standard, and hospitality is the heartbeat of every part of the restaurant.