July 14: Saint Camillus de Lellis
In the Service of Christ through the Sick
At a time when the sick were still cared for by convicts or untrained mercenaries, Camillus de Lellis radically transformed the approach to caregiving. No longer was it to be seen as a punishment to be endured or a mere means of making money—it became an act of love and compassion toward those who suffer, recognizing in the sick the reflection of Christ’s face, to be served and loved.
Camillus de Lellis was born in 1550 in the Abruzzo region to an elderly mother, in a context marked by hardship and uncertain prospects. From an early age, he showed a rebellious character. At just thirteen, he began following his father, a soldier, and quickly picked up the vices of gambling and led a violent, unruly life.
For several years, he lived as a mercenary soldier, fighting and risking his life only to squander his earnings on gambling. In 1574, after surviving a shipwreck, he fell into poverty and was forced to beg and work as a laborer at a Capuchin friary.
During a journey to the friary of San Giovanni Rotondo in the Jubilee Year of 1575, a friar said words to him that left a lasting impression:
“God is everything. Nothing else matters. The only thing that counts is saving your soul, which is eternal.”
On his way back, in the mountains of Gargano, Camillus stopped, dismounted his horse, knelt, and burst into tears, praying:
“Lord, I have sinned. Forgive me, I am a great sinner! What sorrow, for not having known and loved You all these years. Please, give me time to truly repent of my sins.”
He asked to become a friar, but a chronic wound on his leg forced him to abandon the novitiate.
Back in Rome, he worked at the Hospital of San Giacomo among the most gravely ill—the so-called “Incurables”—where he stood out for the dedication and love with which he cared for the patients. Appointed Master of the House, he reorganized the hospital with firmness and Christian spirit, firmly opposing the practice of entrusting the sick to incompetent mercenaries or convicts sentenced to hard labor.
Driven by a desire to completely reform the healthcare system, Camillus dreamed of replacing these caregivers with volunteers moved solely by the love of God. He thus founded a group of men devoted to caring for the sick, which in 1586 became the Congregation of the Clerics Regular, Ministers to the Sick, known as the Camillians.
Despite countless difficulties and opposition, Camillus continued his work in the most important hospitals, including the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Rome, striving to bring dignity, cleanliness, and compassion where neglect and filth had long prevailed.
He died on July 14, 1614, at the age of 64, leaving behind a spiritual testament in which he completely entrusted himself to God, asking forgiveness for his sins and placing his soul and body in the hands of the Crucified Jesus:
“I, Camillus de Lellis… leave my earthly body to the same earth from which it was made… I leave to the Devil, that wicked tempter, all the sins and offenses I have committed against God and I repent of them with all my soul… I also leave behind all the vanities of the world… And I leave and give my soul and every power it possesses to my beloved Jesus and to His Holy Mother… Finally, I give to Jesus Christ Crucified my whole self—body and soul—and I trust that, in His immense goodness and mercy, He will receive and forgive me, just as He forgave Mary Magdalene...”
He was beatified on April 7, 1742, by Pope Benedict XIV, who also canonized him on June 29, 1746. He is the Patron Saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick.