The Camillus de Lellis reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Camillus de Lellis

St Camillus De Lellis was born at Bacchianico, Naples, 1550 and died at Rome on the 14 July 1614.

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 Venitian army while still only a youth. After his regiment was disbanded in 1574 Camillus worked in a hospital for uncurables, however his agressive nature and excesive 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 'the Fathers of a Good Death'. 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.

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