In August 1582 Camillus de Lellis, who had been appointed the house administrator of the St. James of the Incurables Hospital of Rome, wanted to reform care for the sick. However the first difficulties began to appear. As is often the case, not everyone was in favour of reform and some people tried to obstruct him: they accused him of wanting to acquire total command of the hospital and some unknown people took down the little oratory that he and his first companions had set up in the room in the hospital.

Camillus was so discouraged that he was on the point of abandoning the initiative that was in his heart, his work of charity. But when he was about to collapse under a weight that he was not able to bear, the crucified Christ kept by him in the oratory, where he prayed together with his companions, began to move, detached his arms from the cross and spoke to him with the following words: “Tell me what is troubling you, pusillanimous one? Go on and I will help you because this is my work and not yours”. From that moment onwards nothing was able to stop Camillus.

Now, on the occasion of the celebrations for the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus (1614-2014), that crucifix that comforted him will visit Bucchianico on 5- 13 April 2014.

Strongly wished for by the St. Camillus Jubilee Committee 2014 and by the Camilian religious, the visit of this important relic to Bucchianico will take place during the week that begins with the fifth Sunday of Lent and ends on Palm Sunday. This is a further stimulus to giving a spiritual impress, as well as one of a strongly emotional character, to the event. Because, as the Archbishop of Chieti-Vasco, Msgr Bruno Forte, observed, ‘the mystery concealed in the shadows of the cross is the mystery of the pain of God and His love for men…The Christian God suffers because He loves and loves because he suffers. He is the God who suffers with us and for us, who gives Himself to the point of coming totally out of Himself in the alienation of death so as to welcome us fully in the gift of life’.

Very many appointments, in particular moments of prayer in the presence of this miraculous crucifix, will follow each other during the whole of the week. Here is the complete programme:

• Saturday 5 April: 17.00 – Arrival of the crucifix in Bucchianico: welcomed in Via Piana, at the gates of the city, near to the Red Cross, it will accompanied in a procession to the St. Camillus de Lellis Sanctuary; 19.00 – Holy Mass in the sanctuary.
• Sunday 6 April: 19.30 – theatrical performance of ‘The Story of a Father and Two Sons’, directed by Claudia Koll, with young artists of the Star Rose Academy as the actors. Claudia Koll will speak during the evening and at the end of the performance she will speak to the audience to share her witness of faith.
• Monday 7 April: 18.00 – Via Crucis with reflections; 19.00 – Holy Mass.
• Tuesday 8 April: 18.00 – Via Crucis with reflections; 19.00 – Holy Mass; 21.00  – “… by his wounds were you healed”, burning bush animated by the St. Camillus de Lellis Renewal in the Spirit Group.
• Wednesday 9 April: 18.00 – Via Crucis with reflections; 19.00 – Holy Mass; 21.00 – In Front of the Crucifix, moment of prayer animated by groups of Communion and Liberation and the Lay Camillian Family.
• Thursday 10 April: 18.00 – Via Crucis with reflections; 19.00 – Holy Mass; 21.00 – Investigation about Jesus – Truth or Hearsay? History or Legend? Faith or Tradition?, debate led by Catholic Action of the parish.
• Friday 11 April: 18.00 – Via Crucis with reflections; 19.00 – Holy Mass; 21.00 – Solemn Via Crucis through the streets of the historic centre of the town.
• Saturday 12 April: starting at 16.00 – Diocesan World Day of Youth presided over by His Excellency Msgr. Bruno Forte; starting at 21.30 – White Night at the Sanctuary; it will be possible to pray and to visit places connected with St. Camillus until deep into the night.
• Sunday 13 April: 19.00 – Holy Mass and farewell to the Crucifix.
  •  Look here at the press information
  • Watch here the video  ‘St. Camillus and the Crucifix’