Peter Joseph Triest

Peter Joseph Triest, who was a priest in the turbulent period following the French Revolution, became the innovative champion of the care for the poor and sick in the city of Ghent. Faced with great needs, he constantly sought to provide appropriate solutions, along with the Civil Hospices Commission, of which he was a member.

For more than 30 years, Peter Joseph Triest would be the driving force behind this commission and break new ground for the Church, which led to a greater presence in society, particularly in the care for the poor and sick, completely in line with the Gospel message. He did not do it alone; he went looking for men and women who wanted to share his charism of charity and founded four congregations: the Sisters of Charity of Jesus and Mary, the Brothers of Charity, the Brothers of Saint John of God, and the Sisters of the Childhood of Jesus.

Even today, his spirit lives on in so many places where his sisters and brothers are and where they continue this charism of charity with the many staff members and co-workers.