Why pray the prayer of St. Camillus?

The Catholic Church has among its rites the canonization, an official religious act that transforms people into saints. In this article, you will know the story of St. Camillus, who became patron saint of nurses and hospitals due to his humanitarian work in this area.

As the saint entered into history, he left his prayer, so that his devotees can make their requests according to their faith. The prayer of St. Camillus is intended to ask for help in the sad hours of illness. It can also be used to ask for strength in the fight against addictions, a disease from which St. Camillus was cured.

However, no one needs a specific reason to make a prayer for health and strength, because it is possible to make it for others, and there is no shortage of sick and weak-willed people in this world. In fact, a prayer for another person has more merit than one for oneself. So, check out the details of the prayers to St. Camillus below!

History of St. Camillus

St. Camillus was an Italian priest whose story was a true miracle. Being a soldier in the Italian army with a reputation for bravery and trouble after a troubled youth, for him to end his life as a saint after helping sick people was a great miracle. Read on and learn the whole story of St. Camillus!

Origin of St. Camillus

The birth of Camillus de Lellis occurred under miraculous conditions, since his mother, Camilla Compelli, was almost sixty years old when she became pregnant. Camillus was born on May 25, 1550, during the troubled period of the Crusades, the holy wars of Catholicism against the pagans.

It was a complicated birth in which Camilo emerged victorious, since he was born without health problems. Camilo's father, João de Léllis, was in the army and was almost always away, leaving to his mother the task of raising and educating the child. With the death of his mother, when he was 13 years old, the young Camilo found himself practically alone to face life.

Troubled adolescence

The little education Camillo had access to came from his mother, who taught him the basics of religion and morals. Upon her death, he dropped out of school, becoming a young man of a rebellious character who got into trouble when he went to live with his father.

Life at his father's side did not help to improve young Camilo, as his father was constantly transferred because of problems that were related to his gambling addiction. Thus, there was neither affection nor financial stability, since his father used to lose a lot with gambling.

Weak father who wants to help

Camillo's father was a rude man, like most men in the sixteenth century, belonged to the army and had no way to control and educate a teenager. In addition, he was dominated by gambling addiction, which Camillo soon learned. However, there was a father's love in his heart and in an attempt to help his son, he put him in the army.

Thus, at the age of 14, St. Camillus became an Italian soldier who could not read well, but who had a strong and resistant body. For him, what was left was manual work because of his lack of education, and also because of this, he could never become a soldier. In this way, he ended up leaving the army due to addictions.

A violent, gambling-addicted young man

At the age of 19, St. Camillus already had a reputation of being quarrelsome and violent and causing fear in people, besides being addicted to gambling. It was at this age that he lost his father, who died without leaving any inheritance, except for the addiction that increased after he was left alone in the world. With the death of his father, the bad tendencies were accentuated.

With no recourse after losing everything in the game, Camillo seemed destined to be just another ordinary young man of the middle ages, living among wars in a hostile and violent environment, with no family or good friendships to guide him.

A conversation starts to change your life

The young Camillus came to live begging, and his reputation as a violent man did not help at all. Until he met a Franciscan friar who was not intimidated and established a relationship of friendship with him. The seed of good was latent in his heart, and the friar awakened it.

Although he was of a violent character, the friar was able to see goodness in Camillus' heart behind the rough and suffering aspect. The encounter touched the heart of the young man and began the process of conversion, which would materialize some time later.

Incurable tumor

Camillus made an attempt to enter the Franciscan congregation, which refused him because of a large ulcer on his foot that needed treatment. In the search for a cure, Camillus arrived in the capital, Rome, where he discovered that there was no cure for the injury. Even so, he stayed working in the hospital to pay for treatment.

However, Camilo's main illness was the addiction that destroyed his soul and made him relapse, returning to a life of games and confusions and losing his job. Moreover, his wound remained unhealed and could only improve with treatment.

A vision changes your heart

Camillus' situation at the age of 25 was really difficult, since he was without work, on the street and with a tumour that could not be cured. An opportunity for work arose precisely in the construction of a monastery, where he was accepted to work as a helper.

At work, he began to suffer the beneficial influence of the Franciscan monks in charge of construction, who were also workers. It was in this situation that he had a vision, whose content remains hidden, but which changed his life by causing his conversion and the definitive abandonment of vices.

Back to the hospital

Like a man reborn to a new life, Camillus returned to Rome and managed to enter St. James' Hospital again to care for the tumour in his foot. His second stint at the hospital was totally different because, while he was being treated, he worked as a volunteer in assisting the sick.

Thus, Camillus gave preference to care for the most serious patients and those who could cause disgust, since, in the sixteenth century, even in a hospital, the sanitary conditions left to be desired. Thus, some patients were practically left aside by the hospital staff, and it was for these the attention of Camillus.

The bizarre young man turns into an example of love

St. Camillus won the respect and love of his patients, who were mostly the rejected who were close to death. Still, those who could speak out showed their gratitude, not only for the care, but also for the affection with which they were treated.

In this way, St. Camillus caused the conversion of many of the terminally ill patients in the hospital. His care was not only aimed at the body, but also at the soul, which received comfort and Christian love. Thus, he listened to the mistakes, the stories, and was a witness to the repentances as well as the confessions of the sick.

The Congregation of the Camillians is born

The story of St. Camillus proves the truth of an adage which says: "words convince, but example drags". Indeed, his dedicated work attracted other young people, who joined him in the difficult work of caring for the critically ill.

Thus there arose, within the hospital, what was a brotherhood formed of volunteers. Then Philip Neri, a priest who was also canonised later and who became a friend of St. Camillus, entered the story. From this friendship the Congregation of Camillian Ministers, dedicated to the voluntary care of the sick, was born.

The help of Saint Philip Neri

The Congregation of St. Camillus had the providential help of St. Philip Neri, who, besides contributing to its foundation, made it possible for St. Camillus to resume his studies and to be ordained a priest.

With his ordination, St. Camillus could be elected to command the Order of Camillians, which was accepted as a religious order by the Catholic Church in 1591. This order earned the name "Order of the Nursing Fathers" because caring for the sick was its main activity. St. Camillus worked for twenty years in command of the Order.

Extraordinary gifts

During the whole time that he was in the Camillian Order and the seven years that he still lived, St. Camillus dedicated himself entirely to his glorious work. In the last years of his life he began to teach how to care for the sick to those who were arriving. He visited the sick in their homes and, when necessary, carried them on his back to the hospital.

Over time, the saint developed the gift of healing through prayer, which made him sought after by people coming from afar. He became famous, loved and respected throughout Italy, considered a saint by the Italian people before he died. He died on July 14, 1614 and was canonized in 1746.

Titles and causes of St. Camillus

An old saying that fits well with the life of St. Camillus is: "It doesn't matter how you begin, but how you end your life. This is because he went from a troubled young man to a charitable man, and ended up as a saint who earned titles and honors. Read on and check out the details of St. Camillus' causes!

Patron saint of nurses, patients and hospitals

St. Camillus had a tumour that turned into a wound and never healed, being considered incurable by the doctors. However, this never stopped him from doing his work of charity and medical and spiritual assistance to his sick. He carried the sick in his arms or on his back if necessary.

To increase the scope of his work, he founded an Order, and the dedication he always showed generated gratitude and recognition. For this reason, he was not only canonized, but earned the title of patron saint of nurses, the sick and hospitals. The title was made official in 1886 by the Catholic Church.

Protector against gambling addiction

Gambling addiction dominated the life of the then teenager Camilo for a long time and accompanied him into adulthood. After the death of his mother, he was left with his father, who was an addict and also became a slave to addiction.

Thus, for having succeeded in quitting an addiction that caused him so many problems and completely changed the direction of his life, St. Camillus also became known as a protector in helping against addictions.

Founder of the Congregation of the Camillians

The Order of the Ministers of the Sick, or Order of Camillians, began with only two men, besides St. Camillus, but it functions today administering hospitals in various parts of the world. The order was the great legacy that St. Camillus left to humanity.

In addition, the small brotherhood grew and was recognized as a religious order, in a fitting tribute to his fight on behalf of the needy sick. His work included accompanying the army into battle to care for the body and soul of the wounded. This was a noble cause of a holy man.

Prayers to St. Camillus

All the saints have one or more prayers with their name that were created in function of their activities on earth, as well as in demonstration of their faith. St. Camillus also left some prayers that you can make use of in painful moments. Check them out below!

Prayer to St. Camillus de Lellis

Prayer is characterized by being a direct way of communication with the saint of your heart and your devotion. Prayer can have as its purpose a request, a thanksgiving, or even an act of praise to the saint.

Thus, St. Camillus had the gift of healing and became known because of it, although he added to the divine gift his own physical effort. He worked tirelessly on behalf of the sick, even if they were terminal, because he offered spiritual help. Thus, his prayers have great power when it comes to healing illnesses.

Prayer to St. Camillus

The supplication to St. Camillus is a direct request in which the name of the person to be benefited can be included. Although the ideal prayer should come from within the heart, the ready-made prayer can be repeated or modified according to the need.

This prayer is very strong and emotional, as all prayers should be:

Dear St. Camillus, you knew how to recognize in the faces of the sick and needy the figure of Christ Jesus himself and helped them to see in illness a hope of eternal life and healing. We ask you to have the same compassionate look upon (say the name of the person), who at this moment is in a painful period of darkness.

We want to ask you to intercede with God so that there may be no suffering during his recovery period. Guide the hands of health professionals so that they may make a safe and accurate diagnosis, giving charitable and sensitive treatment. Be favourable to us, St. Camillus, and also do not allow the evil of sickness to come into our home, so that healthy, we may render gloryto the holy trinity. So be it. Amen.

Prayer to St. Camillus to attract health

The prayer to St. Camillus shown below is an anticipated request to the saint made in a generic way, without the petitioner being ill. It is a very common type of prayer, being a request for protection against the evils that beset this world, and serves as a blessing for all humanity, not only for the petitioner.

The merit and power lies precisely in this collective characteristic, which indicates a feeling of brotherhood. Check out the prayer below:

Pious St. Camillus, who, called by God to be the friend of the poor sick, consecrated your whole life to assisting and comforting them, behold from heaven those who invoke you, trusting in your help. Sickness of soul and body makes our poor existence an accumulation of miseries that make this earthly exile sad and painful.

Relieve us in our infirmities, obtaining for us holy resignation to the divine dispositions, and in the inevitable hour of death, comfort our hearts with the immortal hopes of the blessed eternity. So be it.

Reverence to St. Camillus

The prayer of reverence is an act of thanksgiving and recognition of the power of the saint, but which, at the end, always includes a request for protection. The prayer also has a group meaning and involves not only the sick, but also those who, like St. Camillus, dedicate their lives to the difficult work in hospitals. Follow the prayer below:

We revere you, St. Camillus de Lellis, for supporting the sick and nurses, for your kindness, dedication and love of God.

For his priceless value that he always carried in his soul, we also reverence you and ask that you allow the paths of these sick children to be opened for healing, and the wisdom and discernment of the nurses to be redoubled so that they may have their hands blessed to help the sick when needed.

Saint Camillus de Lellis, your protection is revered before all of us faithful who always believe in your miracles. Preserve us from all evils. Amen!

Prayer to St. Camillus for healing of all ills

St. Camillus, when he died, had nothing more in common with the young Camillus, who spent most of his time between gambling and mischief. He was saved and changed to serve his neighbor, and the changes were so radical that it is possible to believe in a mission already planned.

Thus, he worked with the minimum of rest, even though he suffered from pains in his sick foot, which seemed to remind him of his work, since it was never healed. He purified himself in suffering and, therefore, his prayer compares him to the Master Jesus. Check it out:

O St. Camillus, who, in imitation of Jesus Christ, gave your life for your fellow men, dedicating yourself to the sick, help me in my illness, alleviate my pain, strengthen my spirit, help me to accept sufferings in order to purify myself from my sins and to earn the merits that will give me the right to eternal happiness. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Camillus, pray for us.

What is the specialty of the prayer of St. Camillus?

The life of St. Camillus, after his conversion, was entirely dedicated to the care of the sick, in an unequal struggle against the terrible sanitary conditions of the 16th century. Certainly, this detail indicates the use of his prayers for requests for healing of illnesses, as well as for preventive protection.

However, one should not understand saints in the same way as men, since the former are totally dedicated to the practice of good and therefore do not worry about specialties. Therefore, being a person of faith and having devotion for St. Camillus, it is possible to ask for help for any kind of affliction.

Furthermore, the power of faith is subordinate to the will of God and the merit of the one asking. This understanding is important to avoid blasphemy if your request is not granted. After all, illness is sometimes a necessary evil, even if limited human understanding refuses to accept this fact.