Camillus de Lellis

The memorial tablet in the main courtyard of the Ca' Granda, in Milan.

Camillus de Lellis, M.I., (25 May 1550 – 14 July 1614) was an Italian Catholic priest who founded the Camillians, a religious order dedicated to the care of the sick. He was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in the year 1742, and canonized by him four years later in 1746. De Lellis is the patron saint of the sick, hospitals, nurses and physicians. His assistance is also invoked against gambling.

Early life Camillus de Lellis was born on 25 May 1550 at Bucchianico (now in Abruzzo, then part of the Kingdom of Naples). His mother, Camilla Compelli de Laureto, was nearly sixty when she gave birth to him. His father was an officer in both the Neapolitan and French royal armies and was seldom home. De Lellis had his father's temper and, due to his mother's age and retiring nature, she felt unable to control him as he grew up. She died in 1562. As a consequence he grew up neglected by the family members who took him in after her death. Tall for his age, at the age of thirteen he began to accompany his father from one military camp to another. At sixteen, De Lellis joined his father in the Venetian army and fought in a war against the Turks.

After a number of years of military service, his regiment was disbanded in 1575. He entered Rome's San Giacomo Hospital for treatment, but was eventually turned out of the hospital because of his quarrelsome attitude. Having gambled away all his possessions, De Lellis took work as a laborer at the Capuchin friary at Manfredonia; he was constantly plagued, however, by a leg wound he received while in the army, which would not heal. Despite his aggressive nature and excessive gambling, the guardian of the friary saw a better side to his nature, and continually tried to bring that out in him. Eventually the friar's exhortations penetrated his heart and he had a religious conversion in 1575. He then entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars. His leg wound, however, had continued to plague him and was declared incurable by the physicians, thus he was denied admission to that Order.

He was ordained at the age of thirty-four on Pentecost of 1584 by Lord Thomas Goldwell, Bishop of St Asaph, Wales, and the last surviving Catholic bishop of Great Britain.

In 1594 De Lellis led his religious to Milan where they attended to the sick of the Ca' Granda, the main hospital of the city. During the Battle of Canizza in 1601, while Camillians were helping with the wounded, the tent in which they were tending to the sick and in which they had all of their equipment and supplies was completely destroyed and burned to the ground. Everything in the tent was destroyed except the red cross of a religious habit belonging to one of the Camillians who was ministering to the wounded on the battlefield. This event was taken by the Camillans to manifest divine approval of the Red Cross of St. Camillus.

Throughout his life De Lellis' ailments caused him suffering, but he allowed no one to wait on him and would crawl to visit the sick when unable to stand and walk. and canonized by him four years later in 1746.

In 1886, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him patron of all hospitals and of the sick. and in the liturgical changes of 1969 to that of an optional "Memorial", when it was also moved to the anniversary of his death, 14 July. In the U.S.A. it is currently an optional Memorial celebrated on 18 July, because on 14 July there is the Memorial of Kateri Tekakwitha.

Camillus is depicted ministering to the sick.

Commemoration Camillus is honoured in the names of: St. Camillus, a church in the village of Farrelton, Quebec San Camillo de Lellis, a church in Rome, Italy São Camilo de Lellis, a church in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil The Camillians religious order, including the Daughters of St. Camillus The town Saint-Camille, Quebec and the parish Saint-Camille-de-Lellis, Quebec Saint Camillus Academy, former Catholic school in Kentucky, USA St Camille Association, providing residential care for people in West Africa suffering from mental illness St. Camillus Centre in Mohale's Hoek, Lesotho St. Camillus College of Manaoag in Northern Luzon, Philippines Saint Camillus Foundation, a charitable organization in Thailand, including the Camillian social center in Rayong St. Camillus Health Center, a skilled nursing facility located in Massachusetts, USA Camillian Hospital, a general hospital located in Bangkok, Thailand Saint Camillus Medical Center, in Hurst, Texas United Doctors of St. Camillus de Lellis Hospital, Batangas City, Philippines St. Camillus College of Manaoag Foundation, Inc., a non-profit, non-stock private school in Manaoag, Pangasinan, Philippines Camillian Family Foundation Philippines The Centers at St. Camillus, a rehabilitation and nursing home facility in Syracuse, New York St. Camillus Hall, the cardiac telemetry unit at Holy Family Hospital, Methuen, Massachusetts, USA St. Camillus Health Center, a nursing home and ancillaries clinic in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA St. Camillus Hospital, Limerick, Ireland The Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy