July 18th St. Camillus de Lellis (1550 – 1614)
Camillus de Lellis was a priest from Italy who founded the Camillians, a religious order dedicated to the care of the sick and dying. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746. He is the patron saint of the sick, hospitals, nurses, physicians, and is invoked against gambling.
Some accounts say his mother was "nearly fifty," when she gave birth to him, while others say she was sixty. At sixteen, Camillus joined his father in the Venetian army and fought in a war against the Turks. He spent a number of years serving in the military until his regiment was disbanded. Having received a wound in his leg that would not heal, he sought treatment in a hospital in Rome, but he was turned out for his quarrelsome attitude. He took to excessive gambling and gambled his wealth away. At this point, he took work as a laborer in the Capuchin friary at Manfredonia. Eventually, a friar's exhortations penetrated his heart and he had a religious conversion -- he then entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars. However, his wounded leg continued to plague him and he was declared incurable by the physicians, thus preventing his admission to the Order.
He moved to Rome to a hospital for incurables. At first he worked as a caregiver, but eventually he was put in charge. He lived a life of virtue and followed a strict ascetic life, performing many penances. His spiritual director and confessor was St. Philip Neri.
Eventually, he established a religious congregation of brothers to care for the sick in the hospital. Thus, Camillus established the Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers of the Infirm (abbreviated as M.I.), better known as the Camillians. The large red cross on their cassock remains a symbol of the Congregation today, worn on their habits.
This is the full liturgical account of St. Camillus' noble life:
Birth Camillus was born at Bacchianco, a town of the diocese of Chieti. He was descended from the noble family of Lily, and his mother was 60 years old at the time of his birth. While she was with child with him, she dreamt that she gave birth to a little boy, who was signed on the breast with the cross and was the leader of a band of children, all wearing the same sign.
Early Life & Conversion
As a young man he followed the career of arms, and gave himself up for a time to worldly vices, but in his 26th year he was so enlightened by heavenly grace, and seized with so great a sorrow for having offended God, that on the spot, shedding a flood of tears, he firmly resolved unceasingly to wash away the stains of his past life, and to put on the new man. Therefore on the very day of his conversion, which happened to be the feast of the purification of the Blessed Virgin, he hastened to the Friars Minor, who are called Capuchins, and begged most earnestly to be admitted into their number.
Barred from the Franciscans
His request was granted on this and on a subsequent occasion, but each time a horrible ulcer, from which he had suffered before, broke out again upon his leg; wherefore he humbly submitted himself to the designs of Divine Providence, which was preparing him for greater things, and conquering himself he twice laid aside the Franciscan habit, which he had twice asked for and obtained.
Nursing the Sick in Rome
He set out for Rome and was received into the hospital called that of the incurables. His virtue became so well known that the management of the institution was entrusted to him, and he discharged it with the greatest integrity at a truly paternal solicitude. He esteemed himself the servant of all the sick, and was accustomed to make their beds, to wash them, to heal their sores, and to aid them in the last agony with his prayers and pious exhortations. In discharging these offices he gave striking proof of his wonderful patience, unconquered fortitude, and heroic charity.
Learns to Read & Becomes a Priest & Founds the Regular Clerks
But when he perceived how great an advantage the knowledge of letters would be to him in assisting those in danger of death, to whose service he had devoted his life, he was not ashamed at the age of 32 to return to school and to learn the elements of grammar among children. Being afterwards promoted in due order to the priesthood, he was joined by several companions, and in spite of the opposition attempted by the enemy of the human race, laid the foundation of the congregation of regular clerks, servants of the sick.
Ecstasies
In this work Camillus was wonderfully strengthened by a heavenly voice coming from an image of Christ crucified, which by an admirable miracle loosing the hands from the wood, stretched them out towards him. He obtained the approbation of his order from the Apostolic Sea. Members bind themselves by a 4th and very arduous vow, namely to minister to the sick, even those infected with the plague. St Philip Neri, who was his confessor, attested how pleasing this institution was to God, and how greatly it contributed toward the salvation of souls; for he declared that he often saw angels suggesting words to disciples of Camillus, when they were assisting those in their agony.
Consumed with Great Love of God and Neighbor When he had thus found himself more strictly than before to the service of the sick, he devoted himself with marvelous ardor to watching over their interests, by night and by day, till his last breath. No labor could tire him, no peril of his life could affright him. He became all to all, and claimed for himself the lowest offices, which he discharged promptly and joyfully, in the humblest manner, often on bended knees, as though he saw Christ himself present in the sick. In order to be more at the command of all in need, he of his own accord laid aside the general government of the order, and deprived himself of the heavenly delights with which he was inundated during contemplation. His fatherly love for the unfortunate shown out with greatest brilliance when Rome was suffering first from a contagious distemper, and then from a great scarcity of provisions; and also when a dreadful plague was ravaging Nola in Campania. In a word, he was consumed with so great a love of God and his neighbor that he was called an angel, and merited to be helped by the angels in different dangers which threatened him on his journeys. He was endowed with a gift of prophecy and the grace of healing, and he could read the secrets of hearts. By his prayers he at one time multiplied food, and at another changed water into wine.
Death At length, worn out by watching, fasting, and ceaseless labor, he seemed to be nothing but skin and bone. He endeared courageously five long and troublesome sicknesses, which he used to call "the mercies of the Lord"; and, strengthened by the sacraments, with the sweet names of Jesus and Mary on his lips, he fell asleep in our Lord, while these words were being said: “May Christ Jesus appear to thee with a sweet and gracious countenance." He died at Rome, at the hour he had foretold, at the day before the eyes of July, in the year of salvation 1614, the 65th of his age. He was made illustrious by many miracles and Benedict XIV solemnly enrolled him upon the calendar of the saints. Leo XIII, at the desire of the bishops of the Catholic world, and with the advice of the congregation of rites, declared him the heavenly patron of all nurses and of the sick in all places, and ordered his name to be invoked in the litanies for the dying.
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Camillus' assistance is also invoked against gambling.
His mortal remains are located in the altar in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Rome, along with several of his relics. Also on display is the Cross which allegedly spoke to Camillus, and asked him, "Why are you afraid? Do you not realize that this is not your work but mine?" which has become the motto associated with St. Camillus, as well as healthcare workers who were inspired by him.
The Congregation of the Servants of the Sick of St Camillus, the Daughters of St. Camillus, the Secular Institutes of Missionaries of the Sick Christ Our Hope, of the Kamillianische Schwestern (Camillan Sisters) and of the Lay Camillian Family, were born later of the charism and spirituality of St. Camillus.
Camillus' feast day was originally inserted in the General Roman Calendar in 1762 for celebration on July 18th, since July 14th was at that time taken by the feast of St. Bonaventure. It was then given the rank of Double, but later it was changed in 1960 to that of "Third-Class Feast", and in the liturgical changes of 1969 to that of an optional "Memorial", when it was also moved to the anniversary of his death, July 14. In the U.S.A. it is currently an optional Memorial celebrated on July 18th, because July 14th is the Memorial of St. Kateri Tekakwitha.
More Artwork of St. Camillus:
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