July 18th - St. Camillus De Lellis By: Nikhil Justin

Saint Camillus was born on May 25, 1550 in the Province of Chieti, Italy. The childhood of Saint Camillus wasn’t pleasant at all as his mother passed away when he was at a young age and his father neglected him as he gained an extreme love towards gambling. When Saint Camillus de Lellis was 17, he was afflicted with a disease that affected his leg and stayed with him for the rest of his life. In Rome, Camillus went to the San Giacomo Hospital where he served as a patient as well as a servant. After 9 months, he was dismissed for quarrelsomeness. After, he served in the Venetian army for 3 years. In the winter of 1574, Camillus de Lellis gambled away everything he had from his guns to all of his savings. After this, he started to work at the Capuchin friary at Manfredonia. During his time working here, he was so moved one day that he started a conversation that would change the direction of his life. Eventually, Camillus worked his way to become superintendent. The rest of his life was devoted to helping the sick. Saint Camillus de Lellis is known as the patron of hospitals, nurses, and the sick along with Saint John. Saint Camillus de Lellis passed away at the age of 64 on July 14, 1614 due to an illness and was still trying to help people in his final moments. The life of Saint Camillus de Lellis teaches us that no matter where you come from, no matter how terrible your life has been, God will always lead you towards the lights and from the darkness. You can always change your life, you just have to have faith in God. 

INTERCESSORY PRAYER
O glorious Saint Camillus, special patron of the sick poor, thou who for forty years, with truly heroic charity, didst devote thyself to the relief of their temporal and spiritual necessities, be pleased to assist them now even more generously, since thou art blessed in heaven and they have been committed by Holy Church to thy powerful protection. Obtain for them from Almighty God the healing of all their maladies, or, at least, the spirit of Christian patience and resignation that they may sanctify them and comfort them in the hour of their passing to eternity; at the same time obtain for us the precious grace of living and dying after thine example in the practice of divine love. Amen