Camillus de Lellis

From Freepedia

St Camillus De Lellis (Bucchianico, Abruzzo Kingdom of Naples, 1550 – July 14, 1614 at Rome) was an Italian monk who founded a religious order.

Camillus' mother died while he was still a child and his father was an officer in both the Neapolitan and French armies. As a consequence Camillus grew up very neglected. Camillus joined the Venetian army while still only a youth. After his regiment was disbanded in 1574 Camillus worked in a hospital for uncurables, however his aggressive nature and excessive gambling led to his dismissal. He rejoined the Venetian army and fought in the war against the Turks in 1569. After the war he later returned to the hospital in Rome from which he had been dismissed, he became a nurse and later director of the hospital.

Camillus established the order of camillians. Members devoted themselves to the plagued. Throughout his life Camillus' ailments caused him suffering but he would permit no-one to wait on him and would crawl to visit the sick when unable to stand and walk. It is said that Camillus possessed the gifts of healing and prophecy. He was beatified in 1742 and canonized by Benedict XIV in 1746.

Popularly, Camillus is the patron saint of gamblers and of nurses.