Catholics in Metro Manila will have the opportunity to venerate the relic of St. Camillus, patron saint of hospitals and the sick, at Cubao Cathedral on Friday, March 8.
The relic, a small part of St. Camillus’ heart, will be exposed starting at 8:15 a.m., followed by a Mass at 8:30 a.m. to be led by Bishop Elias Ayuban Jr. of Cubao.
Afterward, the relic will be taken to St. Camillus Seminary in Marikina City for a 1 p.m. program.
The events mark five decades of Camillian mission and service to the sick and suffering in the Philippines.
In the 1960s, Jesuit Fr. Hernando Maceda brought the relic of St. Camillus’ heart to the Philippines after completing his studies in Rome.
The relic was a gift from his friend, Camillian Fr. Mario Vanti, along with a prayer: “Pray that one day the Order of St. Camillus will be established in your country.”
In 1974, two young Italian religious, Ivo Anselmi and Pietro Ferri, arrived in Manila to complete their theological studies at the Loyola School of Theology in Quezon City.
Fr. Maceda gave them the relic of St. Camillus, marking the beginning of the realization of Fr. Mario Vanti’s prayer.
The presence of the Camillians, along with Fr. Ernesto Nidini, who was studying at De La Salle University, helped foster the establishment of the Camillian Foundation in the Philippines.
On March 8, 1975, the first Camillian community in the country was established in Quezon City under the Lombardo-Venetian Province.
The community included Fr. Nidini as the first superior, Fr. Alberto Roman, Fr. Anselmo Zambotti, and newly ordained priests Fr. Anselmi and Fr. Ferri.
A year later, the community joined the Far East Vice-Province, which became the Far East Province in 1997. By 1998, Filipino Camillians had taken charge of all seven communities in the country.
The Philippine Province was officially established on July 1, 2003, with Fr. Anselmi as the first provincial superior.
Over the past 50 years, the Camillians have expanded their mission, with 41 Filipino members now serving in the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia, Italy, Germany, and the USA.
In the Philippines, the Camillians provide spiritual and medical care in 14 hospital chaplaincies, three hospitals, one polyclinic, a nursing home, two parishes, and a pastoral center.
They also run an NGO focused on health, development, and disaster response, as well as support three formation houses.
The Camillians are also actively involved in HIV/AIDS care and collaborate with the Episcopal Commission on Health Care of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
