Prayer to Saint Camillus De Lellis Patron of the Sick

Prayer to Saint Camillus de Lellis

O compassionate Saint Camillus de Lellis, faithful servant of Christ and devoted comforter of the sick and suffering, you saw the face of Jesus in those who were ill, wounded, and dying.

Intercede for all who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Obtain for them strength in pain, peace in fear, and hope in moments of darkness. May they feel the loving presence of Christ through the care and compassion of others.

Pray for doctors, nurses, caregivers, and all who serve the sick, that they may act with patience, skill, and mercy, treating each person with dignity and love.

Saint Camillus, who dedicated your life to works of mercy, help us to serve the suffering with generous hearts and selfless love.

Saint Camillus de Lellis, patron of the sick and hospitals, pray for us.

Amen.

Saint Camillus de Lellis (1550-1614) is revered as the patron saint of the sick, hospitals, nurses, and physicians. Born in Naples, Italy, he initially led a tumultuous life, serving as a soldier and struggling with gambling and a violent temper. A persistent leg wound, sustained during his military service against the Turks, led him to seek treatment in hospitals. It was during his time as a patient and later as a caregiver at the Hospital of San Giacomo in Rome that he experienced a profound conversion, influenced by the preaching of Capuchin friars.

Despite his initial struggles and the incurable nature of his leg wound, which prevented him from fully joining the Capuchin order, Camillus dedicated his life to serving the sick. Under the spiritual guidance of Saint Philip Neri, he was ordained a priest and founded the Order of Clerks Regular, Ministers of the Infirm, also known as the Camillians. This order was specifically established to provide compassionate and dedicated care to the sick, particularly those in hospitals and on battlefields. Saint Camillus emphasized treating the sick as if they were Christ himself, believing that "The poor and the sick are the very heart of God" His order adopted a red cross as its emblem, symbolizing their commitment to this mission. He was beatified in 1742 and canonized in 1746 by Pope Benedict XIV.

Many prayers invoke Saint Camillus's intercession for physical and spiritual strength for the suffering, for Christian resignation and trust in God's goodness, and for generosity and dedication among caregivers. Novenas to Saint Camillus are often prayed in preparation for his feast day, which is observed on July 14th on the universal calendar or July 18th in the United States. These novenas seek his intercession for various intentions, including healing, patience in suffering, and the inspiration for more individuals to dedicate their lives to caring for the sick.

OTHER PRAYER : "O glorious Saint Camillus, special patron of the sick, who for forty years, with truly heroic charity, devoted yourself to the relief of their temporal and spiritual necessities, be pleased to assist them now even more generously, since you are blessed in heaven and they have been committed by Holy Church to your 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 your example in the practice of divine love. Amen."