Dear Friends,
Health and peace!
The heroic offering of life, inspired and sustained by charity, expresses a true, complete and exemplary imitation of Christ. (Pope Francis)
We take a fourth vow whereby we consecrate ourselves to the service of the sick, both in hospitals and elsewhere, even at the risk of life, by imitating the good Samaritan and following the example of St. Camillus who considered the sick as his «lords and masters». (Const. art. 28)
The words of Pope Francis and our Constitution remind us of the great Camillian witnesses of the merciful love of Christ to the poor sick who served and journeyed with them full of joy until their last breath. They are the Camillian Martyrs of Charity who embraced the fourth vow.
On May 25, we will commemorate the heroic offering of life of the Camillian Martyrs of Charity and the 474th birthday of Saint Camillus de Lellis. This day is a call for us to remember, celebrate, and imitate their authentic witnessing to the merciful love of Christ in a meaningful way before the sick and most vulnerable.
“With great courage, many of them lost their lives translating that fourth vow into action. Throughout the history that has been passed down to us, the Camillians, in the Church and the world, have always held in honor that ‘so precious talent that our Lord has placed in our hands’ and that we also profess and live as one of the most important treasures of our Order [...] It must be guarded and transmitted with the necessary enrichments specific to our time, just as we have received it. This belongs to the conviction, responsibility, and generous testimony of each of us who, ‘moved by the Spirit and believing in the love of God, embrace the charism of mercy towards the sick,’ according to our formula of profession.” (Pedro Tramontin MI, Message of the Superior General 2024).
May we encourage you to remember, celebrate and imitate their witnessing in our respective communities. We highly recommend the following initiatives.
- You can start praying the Novena to the Camillian Martyrs of Charity beginning May 16. Copies of the novena in five languages are attached below.
- You may participate in the CADIS25 emergency fund campaign. To learn about the campaign's mechanics, follow the link to our new website (https://cadisinternational.org/campagne).
- You may initiate an activity that promotes ecological conversion. (Click to find more information: https://laudatosiactionplatform.org/suggested-actions/).
Fraternally yours,
Aris D. Miranda, MI
Director
