Camillus de lellis biography of williams
St. Camillus de Lellis
Camillus de Lellis was born in Naples, Italy, in 1550. He did not start out his life as a saint. As a young man, he enlisted in the army and developed a gambling problem, which left him penniless by the age of twenty-four. Wanting to change his life, he entered the Capuchin Order in Naples. But he was unable to make his profession in the Order because his leg, injured in battle when he was a soldier, had become incurably diseased. Instead, he began to take care of the sick in Rome and became the director of the hospital of St. James.
Camillus’ spiritual director, St. Philip Neri, whose feast day is May 26, was a very holy priest of Rome. Father Philip helped Camillus to become a priest. Once he was ordained, Father Camillus decided to begin a religious group devoted to caring for the sick. With two companions, he started the Order of the Ministers of the Sick, who are also called the Camellians.
They worked in hospitals in Rome and Naples and helped plague victims on board ships in the harbors of Rome. Camillus and his priests and brothers went to poor, sick people who had no one else to care for them. They risked their own lives to bring comfort and hope to people suffering from contagious diseases. In time, the Order grew and had more members. Camillus was able to send assistance to wounded troops in Hungary and Croatia. This was the first medical unit on a battlefield.
Camillus de Lellis died in Rome on July 14, 1614, after a long illness. He was canonized in 1746. Pope Leo XIII named him patron saint of the sick. Pope Pius XI made him the patron of nurses.
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St. Camillus de Lellis wanted to serve God, but his first idea did not work out. Instead of giving up all together, he was open to trying something different. Because he let himself be led by the will of God, he was able to fulfill his dream of being a priest. We may not know exactly what God’s will for us is, but if we remain open to loving God and serving him in o St. Camillus de Lellis was a gambling soldier who lost everything before he decided to dedicate his life to caring for the sick. He was born in Italy in 1550 and grew to be a large man—he stood six and a half feet tall. When he turned 17, his father allowed him to accompany him to fight with the Venetians against the Turks. While in battle, Camillus contracted a disease in his leg that would trouble him all his life. He was admitted to a hospital, both as a patient and to work there as a staff member, but he caused a lot of trouble and disturbances, and was released. He returned to the war and lived the life of a soldier. Among his vices was gambling. He was addicted to games of chance, and was always in a state of need because he lost money. By the time he was 24, he had lost everything—his money, his equipment as a soldier, even the clothes off his back–and was living on the streets. At one point earlier in his life, when he was filled with remorse for some mistake, he made a vow to join the Franciscans. He went to them now, and found employment helping them to construct a building. A Franciscan brother had a conversation with him about the course of his life, and he was struck with a firm commitment to change. He was moved to tears, and prayed to God for mercy. From that time on, he lived a life of penance. He tried to join the Franciscans, but they would not accept him because of his diseased leg. He returned to the hospital where he had helped people before, and dedicated himself to serving the sick. Over time, he was given responsibility for the whole hospital. At the time, hospitals were far from being top-of-the-line facilities. There was little that medicine could offer the sick, and not many people wanted to be in contact with people who were ill. Staff were difficult to find, and many times even criminals were hired to perform basic services. Camillus wanted to staff his hospital with people who could devote themselves to serving the St. Camillus de Lellis (1550–1614) was a wild, undisciplined youth who became a battle-hardened soldier with a violent temper and a gambling addiction. His bad behavior, combined with a persistent war wound in his leg, left him in poverty. He found work doing odd jobs at a Capuchin friary. Gradually the good influence of the friars inspired him to a better life, and he experienced a true conversion. He sought to join the Franciscans, but was prevented due to his leg wound. He then moved to Rome and worked for a hospital that cared for patients with incurable illnesses. He later became its director as he continued a life of penance and virtue. Seeing that his patients often received poor attention from hospital staff, he devoted his life to providing excellent care for the sick, in whom he saw the face of Christ. He established a religious order of men committed to helping patients who were the most ill, even at the risk of their own well-being, known as the Order of St. Camillus, or the Camillians. For this task he studied for the priesthood and was ordained at the late age of 34. His order gave medical care to anyone in need of treatment. In addition to serving in hospitals, they also served on the battlefield. The Camillians developed into a worldwide relief effort of like-minded medical workers who seek to follow Christ through ministering to the sick. The large red cross on his habit became an international symbol of charitable medical aid. St. Camillus is the patron of the sick, hospitals, nurses, and physicians. His feast day is July 18th. “Go and preach …..heal the sick (Matthew 10:7-8). These words have been the programme of a man of courage, Camillus de lellis, who 400 years ago urged by God’s love embarked on a project, the project of organizing the care to be offered to our brothers and sisters who are sick. For us Camillians, who are inspired by Saint Camillus and whose ‘charism of mercy’ has been confirmed by the Church, the Samaritan action of creative compassion in the health-care field, responding to the challenges that this world poses to us today. We are religious Order founded by St. Camillus Del Lellis in 1582 in Rome working as Priests, Brothers, and Sisters in over 46 different countries. The Order is devoted to quality and comprehensive health of the society, especially the sick poor for over 400 years. We work as; Chaplains, Doctors, Nurses, Administrators, Counselors, Pastoral agents, Social workers and Teachers. With a fourth vow of “Serving the sick even with the danger to one’s own life”. “Go, heal the sick” Camillians have come to Africa to take care of the suffering, to dress the wounds of those of the injured by wars and hatred, to dry the tears of the orphan, to give hope to persons with AIDS, to give a home to the disoriented refugees, to humanize the healthcare institutions. To achieve these dreams of our founder St. Camillus in the year 2000 the first Camillians came to Uganda, to join Tanzania and Kenya in East Africa. It is also well established in the West Africa; in Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and in Madagascar. In Uganda we are still a little plant having its roots in the Diocese of Lugazi and Jinja. The growth of Camillias in the pearl of Africa was initiated by the first Missionary Fr. Tom O’Connor by beginning to admit students who were sent to Camillians, Nairobi, Kenya. As a result we have the first Ugandan Camillian Priest, Fr. Richard Lubaale ordained on 14 July 2011. Later