ROME – The first convocation of the Board of Directors of the Camillian Disaster Service International (CADIS) took place in Rome at the historic site of the central government of the Order at Piazza della Maddalena on the 4th of July 2016. All of the ten members and officers of the Board were present, namely, Fr. Leocir Pessini, Br. Jose Ignacio Santaolalla, Fr. Laurent Zoungrana, Fr. Gianfranco Lunardon, Fr. Aris Miranda, Fr. Dietmar Weber, Ms. Anita Ennis, (the vice president of the Lay Camillian Family general council), Dr. Gianfranco de Maio, (MSF Italia member), Sr. Sabine Zida, FSC (general council member of the Daughters of St. Camillus), and Sr. Beth Elarmo, MI (general council member of the Sisters Ministers of the Infirm).

During the said meeting, the founder (the Generalate of the Order of the Ministers of the Infirm in the person of the general superior) has officially nominated the other new five members of the Board (see italicized names) and it was correspondingly accepted by each of them. Their term of office will expire on December 2016. A new composition of the Board with a term of three years as the constitution mandated will take effect at the beginning of 2017 with the integration of the new members representing from the college of participants. Moreover, the Board has decided to delegate the powers for the ordinary management of the Foundation to the President and the Vice President and it has given also to the latter the authority to take urgent decisions in circumstances of emergency. This is to avoid delays in responding to situations of emergency and extreme need of help.

The meeting was presided by Bro. Jose Ignacio Santaolalla, the first President of CADIS, Fr. Leocir Pessini, the general superior of the Order of the Ministers of the Infirm (Camillians), graced the occasion and expressed his hopes during his inspirational greeting to the members that this Camillian ministry will spread out more the mercy and compassion of God to those who are suffering at the peripheries. CADIS is also an attempt to consolidate the forces (the big Camillian family members) of the Camillians and its adherents to their charism and spirituality of “serving the sick even in danger to our own lives”. St. Camillus himself in his time has been dreaming of “having more arms” and “more hearts into those arms” in order to do better service to the most vulnerable and suffering people.

CADIS was duly constituted in December 2015 and fully granted its juridical personality on 6 June 2016 by the government of Italy. CADIS is an international foundation established by the Order of the Ministers of the Infirm whose main mission is to respond to the needs of the people affected and proned to natural and man-made disasters. CADIS claims to have its partners from the countries mostly beset by natural and man-made disasters such as Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Taiwan, Australia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Benin, Peru, Brazil, USA, Italy, Austria, Germany.