Roman Catholics will pay tribute to Saint Camillus (San Camilo) de Lellis, the universal patron of hospitals, nurses, doctors, and the sick, on July 14.
Special masses in honor of the revered founder of the Order of Clerks Regular Ministers to the Sick will be celebrated in several Catholic churches in many parts of the world, including the Philippines, where he is well venerated.
In 2013, the sacred relic of the popular Italian monk – the preserved heart of St. Camillus - was brought to the country as part of a pilgrim tour in celebration of his 400th death anniversary which was observed in 2016.
Every year, on his feast day, pilgrims and devotees gather at his major shrine, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Rome, Italy, where he was buried, and where several of his relics are kept, to light candles and make special offerings.
Known as a dedicated priest, confessor, and miracle worker, St. Camillus and his followers cared and treated the sick as “living images of Christ” and considered serving the sick as serving God. He was bestowed with the gifts of healing and prophecy.
Born on May 25, 1550 in the province of Chietti, Italy, he died on July 14, 1614, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746.