Logan Reid
Camillus de Lellis, an Italian nobleman and former soldier, is the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick. He founded the Camillians, a religious order dedicated to the care of the sick. De Lellis was born in 1550 in the Abruzzo region of Naples in present-day Italy. He had a religious conversion in 1575 and entered the novitiate of the Capuchin friars. He founded the Ministers of the Sick, today called the Order of Saint Camillus, which gained full papal approval as a religious order in 1591.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Camillus de Lellis |
| Birth Year | 1550 |
| Birthplace | Abruzzo region of Naples in present-day Italy |
| Occupation | Italian Catholic priest |
| Known for | Founding a religious order dedicated to the care of the sick |
| Beatified by | Pope Benedict XIV |
| Canonized by | Pope Benedict XIV |
| Year of Canonization | 1746 |
| Patron Saint of | Hospitals, nurses, physicians, and the sick |
| Other Patronages | Gambling |
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What You'll Learn
St. Camillus de Lellis was a soldier and gambler
St. Camillus de Lellis, the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick, was born in 1550 in Bucchianico, in the Abruzzo region of Naples, in present-day Italy. His father, Giovanni de Lellis, was an army captain, and Camillus followed in his footsteps, joining the army and fighting in various wars throughout the Italian peninsula and against the Turks until 1574. He was known for his violent temper and reckless habits, including a gambling addiction.
Camillus' life changed when he suffered an injury to his leg, which never fully healed. He sought treatment at St. Giacomo Hospital in Rome, but his quarrelsome attitude got him removed from the hospital. After losing all his possessions due to gambling, he worked as a laborer at a Capuchin friary. It was there, in 1575, that he experienced a religious conversion after hearing a sermon by a Franciscan priest.
Despite his leg injury, Camillus decided to enter the priesthood. He studied at the Jesuit Roman College and was ordained a priest in 1584. He returned to St. Giacomo Hospital, where he was appalled by the poor treatment of the sick. He invited a group of pious men to help care for the patients and established a religious community dedicated to serving the sick. In 1585, he founded the Ministers of the Sick, now known as the Order of Saint Camillus or the Camillians.
The order gained full papal approval in 1591 and grew rapidly, with members serving in several Italian cities. They wore a distinctive cassock with a red cross on their chest, symbolizing their commitment to frightening the devil and serving the sick. St. Camillus' life transformed from one marked by soldiering and gambling to one of devotion to the care of the sick and the establishment of a religious order that continues his legacy today.
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He founded an order dedicated to caring for the sick
St. Camillus de Lellis, the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick, founded an order dedicated to caring for the sick. Born in 1550 in Bucchianico, in the Abruzzo region of Naples, St. Camillus was the son of an army captain and grew up to join the army himself, fighting in various wars across the Italian peninsula. However, his life took a turn when he suffered a leg injury that never fully healed.
St. Camillus sought treatment at the San Giacomo Hospital in Rome multiple times between 1571 and 1584. During his stays at the hospital, he was appalled by the poor treatment of the patients. The staff neglected the sick, leaving them uncleaned, and the hospital was filthy and disease-ridden. Moved by his religious conversion in 1575, St. Camillus decided to devote himself to improving the care of the sick.
In 1582, St. Camillus had a religious experience that solidified his calling to establish a religious community dedicated to caring for the sick. He invited a group of pious men to join him in expressing their faith through the care of patients at the hospital. In 1585, he founded the Ministers of the Sick, now known as the Order of Saint Camillus or the Camillians. The order gained full papal approval in 1591 under Pope Gregory XIV, who confirmed them as the Servants of the Sick or the Order of the Ministers of the Infirm.
The Camillians wore a distinctive cassock with a red cross on their chest, which St. Camillus said was to "frighten the devil." In addition to the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, they took a special vow to provide physical and spiritual help to the sick, even at the risk of their own lives. By 1607, the order had grown to 242 members working in ten major Italian cities. Today, the Camillians continue their mission, operating hospitals, mobile clinics, and providing aid during disasters worldwide.
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He was canonised in 1746
St. Camillus de Lellis, the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick, was canonised in 1746 by Pope Benedict XIV. De Lellis was born in 1550 in Bucchianico, in the Abruzzo region of Naples, in present-day Italy. His father was an officer in the Neapolitan and French royal armies, and his mother, Camilla Compelli de Laureto, was nearly fifty when he was born. He joined the army as a young man and fought in various wars throughout the Italian peninsula until 1574.
During his time in the army, he developed an abscess on his leg which failed to heal and plagued him for the rest of his life. He sought treatment at a Roman hospital, but was eventually turned away due to his quarrelsome attitude. He then took work as a labourer at a Capuchin friary, where he experienced a religious conversion in 1575. He tried to join the Capuchin novitiate but was denied admission due to his leg injury and lack of education.
In 1584, he was ordained as a priest and returned to the hospital, San Giacomo, as a caregiver. He was appalled by the poor treatment of the patients and decided to establish a religious community dedicated to caring for the sick. In 1585, he founded the Ministers of the Sick, which later became known as the Order of Saint Camillus. The order gained full papal approval in 1591 and had 242 members working in ten leading Italian cities by 1607.
De Lellis was beatified by Pope Benedict XIV in 1742 and canonised four years later. In 1886, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him the patron saint of hospitals and the sick. The Order of Saint Camillus continues to minister to the sick today, operating hospitals, mobile clinics, and providing aid to those affected by disasters worldwide.
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He is also the patron saint of nurses and the sick
Saint Camillus de Lellis is the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick. He was an Italian nobleman born in 1550 who served as a soldier fighting the Turks. He had a gambling problem and a violent temper. After his father died, his gambling addiction worsened, and by the time he was 24, he had gambled away all his possessions.
Saint Camillus's life changed when he himself became a patient at the San Giacomo hospital in Rome. He was disgusted by the poor care in the hospital and decided that a religious order devoted to helping the sick was the best way to improve physical and spiritual care. In 1585, he founded the Ministers of the Sick, now called the Order of Saint Camillus. The Order gained full papal approval in 1591 and by 1607 had 242 members working in ten leading Italian cities.
Saint Camillus's order was dedicated to serving the sick, even at the risk of their own lives. They wore a red cross on their black cassocks and capes, which Saint Camillus said was to "frighten the devil." In addition to the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, members of the order pledged to provide unwavering service to the sick.
Saint Camillus was canonized by Pope Benedict XIV in 1746, and in 1886, Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him the patron saint of hospitals and the sick. In 1930, Pope Pius XI named him co-patron of nurses and nursing associations, along with Saint John of God.
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He was disgusted by the poor care in hospitals
St. Camillus de Lellis, the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick, was disgusted by the poor care in hospitals. Born in 1550, Camillus was an Italian nobleman who served as a soldier fighting the Turks. He sought care in a Roman hospital multiple times between 1571 and 1584 for an abscessed leg wound that would not heal. During his time in the hospital, he was appalled by the lack of care and concern for the patients. The nurses showed disrespect for their patients, and the staff often failed to call a priest to help the dying. The hospital was filthy, and the sick were left uncleaned, leading to the spread of diseases.
Camillus decided that a religious order devoted to helping the sick was the best way to improve the physical and spiritual care of patients. In 1585, he founded the Ministers of the Sick, now known as the Order of Saint Camillus or the Camillians. The order gained full papal approval in 1591 and grew rapidly, with 242 members working in ten leading Italian cities by 1607.
As a religious community, the Camillians were dedicated to providing better care for the sick. They made special efforts to ensure good ventilation and food, as well as spiritual care, in their hospitals. They also pioneered special nursing units for wounded soldiers and isolated those with infectious diseases. The Camillans wore a distinctive cassock with a red cross on their chest, which Camillus said was to "frighten the devil."
In addition to their work in hospitals, the Camillians also served the sick outside of hospital walls. They would be summoned to prisons and private houses to tend to the needs of the sick and dying. The order founded by St. Camillus continues its work today, operating large hospitals, mobile clinics, and providing relief to those affected by disasters worldwide.
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Frequently asked questions
St. Camillus de Lellis is the patron saint of hospitals, nurses, and the sick.
St. Camillus de Lellis was an Italian nobleman born in 1550 who served as a soldier fighting the Turks. He founded the Camillians, a religious order dedicated to the care of the sick.
St. Camillus de Lellis founded the Ministers of the Sick, today called the Order of Saint Camillus, in 1585. The order gained full papal approval in 1591 and by 1607 it had 242 members working in ten leading Italian cities.
The order founded by St. Camillus de Lellis continues to minister to the sick to this day, operating hospitals and mobile clinics worldwide. He is also the namesake of numerous healthcare facilities and charitable organizations, including the St. Camillus Health Center in Massachusetts, USA, and the Saint Camillus Foundation in Thailand.
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