A jubilee pilgrimage to the generalate house of the Order for a group of volunteers and residents of the St. Camilus Work of Predappio, a residential institution for psychiatric patients run by the Camillians.

This initiative forms a part of the celebrations for the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus as a fitting tribute to the founder of the Order and a valuable opportunity to know about its history and its works.

‘A positive experience that gave us great satisfaction’, said Father Marco Causarano who, together with the Superior of the community, Don Riccardo Ratti, accompanied the residents to Rome, helped by a number of volunteers and friends of the institution and Sister Orsolina.

‘We left on Tuesday from Predappio, on Wednesday we took part in the general audience of Pope Francis and we will go back on Thursday evening’, added Father Marco. ‘This is an important achievement for us because for the first time in a number of years we have managed to take round our residents for more than a day, with all the difficulties that are involved. And what better destination than the generalate house of the Camillians? Here you breathe in strongly the charism of our Founder which we humbly try to put into practice working for those most in need’.

The pilgrims took part in a celebration of the Eucharist in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene where they halted in prayer in front of the crucifix that spoke to Camillus. Immediately afterwards they went to the hall of the museum dedicated to the saint and in particular to the Cubiculum, where St. Camillus died on 14 July 1614.

St. Camillus is much known about in Predappio, as a result above all else of the work of the institution created in 1950 by the Camillians to look after children with tuberculosis from all over Italy. After the Basaglia Law this became a residential centre for people with psychiatric problems. After the pilgrimage to Rome, in the month of September the residents of the centre will visit Bucchianico in order to end in a splendid way the intense jubilee year to commemorate St. Camillus.

It is hoped that other communities – and not only Italian ones – can intensify the pilgrimages to the generalate house of the Camillians, in order to renew their devotion to the ‘Giant of Charity’ during the fourth centenary of his death.

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