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NEWSLETTER – JULY 2014

THE WORLD OF THE CAMILLIANS SEEN FROM ROME…AND ROME SEEN FROM THE WORLD 

A little time ago, a religious brother pointed out that often communications between us are reduced to the (dutiful) sending out of the obituaries of religious brothers.

We are aware that we are not only the stewards of a past that is dense in true evangelical glory and worthy of grateful memory but also responsible for the present which should be lived with joy and passion in order to serve sick people with Samaritan compassion. In this joyous effort we must also with humility and tenacity create the best possible conditions for our future which should be built together, following with trust the movements of the Holy Spirit.

The strategic importance – in our epoch – of simple, linear, transparent and immediate communication is known to everyone.

We also thought of adopting the opportunity of interacting with all those who are interested in ‘The World of the Camillians Seen from Rome’ and ‘Rome Seen from the World of the Camillians’ in the form of  a Newsletter, in which are placed, sorted and shared news, events, projects, meetings and appointments that can be of shared interest, thereby establishing a virtual Camillian community that uses optic fibres as a pathway to support and animate each other!

The publication of Camilliani/Camillians will continue to be an authoritative expression of the activity planned by the central government of the Order and of synergies with all possible Camillian contexts.

The project of the Newsletter seeks to respond to the request for greater knowledge of what is happening in the lives of our communities; in it events will not be commented upon but simply shared.

This project, in order to maintain its immediacy and above all its continuity, asks for the cooperation of all our religious brothers who want to make other men and women participants not only in the ‘extraordinary character’ of certain appointments but also in their daily service to people and in a very special way to frail and sick people.

To this end, we ask for the real cooperation of all our religious brothers, friends and members of the Great Family of St. Camillus. The ideal in this project, which aims to achieve greater knowledge and awareness of each other, is to have a specific reference point in each Province or other Camillian religious context, with whom to establish an interface of greater immediacy. We are open to welcoming your generous readiness to help through the sending in of audio and video material, photographs, press information and newspaper articles: you can directly contact the Office for Communications at the following e-mail address: redazione@camillodelellis.org.

So, until the next instalment…

The Distribution of Positions and Areas of Competence, Responsibility and Animation amongst the General Consultors

At the meeting of Fr. Leocir Pessini, the Superior General and the General Consultors, which took place on Sunday 13 July at the community of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, with the help of the outgoing General Consultors we agreed to sub-divide the areas of responsibility and animation in the following way:

Fr. L. Zoungrana, the Vicar General, in addition to the responsibility of being the General Procurator in relations with the Holy See (cf. Constitution, n. 100), was entrusted with the area of formation, because of his past experience as well – he has already been Consultor for Formation – in the drawing up of the Rules for Formation. He was also made the International Spiritual Assistant of the Lay Camillian Family.

Br. J.I. Santaolalla Saez was entrusted with responsibility for the organisation and supervision of the economic sector, and the animation of the sector of missions.

Br. Aristelo Miranda, who has already been the head of the CTF (Camillian Task Force), was entrusted with the area of ministry, also because of the fact that the CTF can be seen and experienced as a form of prophetic frontier of our Camillian ministry.

Fr. G. Lunardon was entrusted with the running of the General Secretariat, the coordination of the Office for Communications, and the direction of the review  Camilliani/Camillians.

To everyone we offer our simple readiness to help; of everyone we humbly ask for true cooperation! The General Consulta

FROM THE CAMILLIAN WORLD …

THAILAND

On 12 July 2004, at the Camillian Social Center of Samphran, the jubilee celebration of the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus came to a close with a celebration of the Eucharist and the ordination of three new Camillian priests: Fr. Micheale Wuthichai Bunbanloo, Fr. Paolo Nguyen Nhu Hieu and Fr. Antonio Trinh Van Son.

Look here at the photographic gallery of the celebrations of the Province of Thailand

ITALY – BUCCHIANICO  

After about thirty years where no such event took place, in Bucchianico the Camillians had the joy of taking part in the celebrations for the Camillian deacons Germano Santone and Umberto D’Angelo, who on Saturday 12 July 2014, at 10.30 in the Church of St. Urban, were ordained presbyters during the solemn celebration of the Eucharist that was presided over by Monsignor Bruno Forte, the Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto. Fr. Laurent Zoungrana, the Vicar General of the Order, who over recent months has accompanied the formation of these new priests, was present at the event. Look here at the photographic gallery

THE VICE-PROVINCE  OF PERU,  LIMA

The Vice-Province of Peru with joy announces that on 13 July 20014, at the celebration of the Eucharist to end the Camillian jubilee year which was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio in Peru, the Camillian religious Walter Vásquez Burga, Daniel Silva Muñoz and Clever Huamán Herreros made their perpetual professions with solemn vows. On 19 July, at the Church of Santa María de la Buenamuerte in Lima, our religious brothers Daniel Silva Muñoz and Clever Huamán Herreros  will be ordained deacons. Fr.  Victor Miranda celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his priestly ministry.

Look here at the photographic gallery

IRELAND

His Eminence Cardinal Braz de Aviz, the Prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, during the month of July visited the Camillian community in Ireland to commemorate the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus. On 13 July at the St. Camillus Care Centre the Cardinal celebrated Holy Mass together with Bishop Michael Smith of Meath on the occasion of the day of St. Camillus.

BRAZIL – MACAPÁ

On 5 July 2014, Fr. Jasé Raul Matte celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his priesthood. He has lived for 42 years in the Amazon forest providing service as a medical doctor and missionary. It was in Macapá that Marcello Candia founded the St. Camillus and St. Louis Hospital. Through his presence Fr. Leocir Pessini bore witness to the nearness  of the whole of the Order and its appreciation for what Fr. Raul has achieved. On 8 July Pope Francis signed the decree on the heroic virtues of Marcello Candia, the Milanese businessman. He thus becomes Venerable, the first step towards beatification.

BRAZIL – IOMERÊ

In Iomerê, a small town in the south of Brazil, Fr. Carlos Alberto Pigatto  – who because of illness could not take part – and Fr. Angelo Pasqual celebrated the sixty-fifth anniversary of their priesthoods. The solemn celebration of the Eucharist, in which the Superior General, Fr. Leocir Pessini also took part, was presided over by Bishop Msgr. Severino Klausen.

BRAZIL- SAN PAOLO

On 25 May – the birthday of St. Camillus – the Province solemnly celebrated the Camillian jubilee, involving the administrators, the lay faithful and the Lay Camillian Family. To the four hundred participants was presented the new Identity Card of Camillian Brazilian Institutions. The crowning moment of the celebration was the celebration of the Eucharist presided over by the Archbishop of San Paolo, Cardinal Odilio Pedro Scherer.

ROME

Marcello Candia

On 8 July Pope Francis signed the decree on the heroic virtues of Marcello Candia. The name of this Milanese industrialist, who in the 1960s sold all his possession to build a hospital open to the very poor in Macapà, is quite well known in Italy. In Macapà –  where they have named a road after him – for some time he has been venerated as a saint. Candia, who was born ‘by chance’ in Portici in 1916 (his father who was born in Aquileia and lived in Milan had gone there for reasons connected with work), after taking over the reins of the family business in 1946 (a company that produced carbon dioxide) and after a brilliant career as an industrialist, decided that his life had to change radically and that he had to engage in mission. Obviously, such a revolutionary decision was not a sudden one: he had developed it over a long period of time through work that he did in Italy both through promoting sensitisation to the problems of developing countries where many missionaries worked and through tangible material aid that he had offered to missions themselves. Macapà, which was unknown in Italy, at least to the general public (although it was well known to missionaries such as the Fathers of the PIME – the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions – of Milan), became known to a wider circle of people thanks to Dr. Marcello Candia who, in conformity with the decisions that had taken since his early youth, wanted to sell everything that he had to help the poorest of the poor of a poor area. Candia had identified the sick of Macapà as exactly such people. For that matter this was a place where his great friend Don Aristide Pirovano, who subsequently became the bishop of that diocese, lived. In 1965 Marcello Candia moved for good to Macapà: his activities from that moment onwards were not limited to the Hospital of St. Camillus and St. Louis (it had this name because of the names of his father and mother, Camillo and Luigia), for he also opened social centres within the leper hospital of Marituba (which had been almost totally abandoned by the state) and founded houses of prayer both inside the leper hospital and in Macapà. In 1970 he inaugurated the hospital and in 1975 he gave it  to Camillian religious in order to assure its continued existence after his death. The Camillians had settled in Macapà because Candia, who was not able, and did not want, to manage an institution which had to become Brazilian in character on his own (and also because of what his friend Paul VI had recommended), donated the hospital to them. Since 1971 it has been a centre of the Order and has on its fringes, in the cool of high trees, the religious house of the community.

MEXICO – GUADALAJARA

Fr. Celeste Guarise celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his priesthood. On 26 June Fr. Leocir Pessini, the Superior General, made a visit of friendship and fraternity to the Camillian community in Mexico.

Look here at the photographic gallery of the celebrations in Castion  di Loria ( TV) 

ITALY – CAPRIATE SAN GERVASIO (BG)

On 26 June in Capriate S. G. (BG), at the house of the Provincial, the usual annual appointment took place of the ‘Day of Fraternity’. On the anniversary (26 June 1586) of the granting by Pope Sistus to St. Camillus and his religious of the right to wear a red cross on the front of their religious habit ‘to let the world know that all of us marked by this mark of the Cross are like sold slaves and dedicated to service to the sick poor…to demonstrate that this is a religion of the cross, that is to say of death, of sufferings and hard work’ (S. Ciccatelli), this ‘Day of Fraternity’ was celebrated. The Day of Fraternity offers to the Lord the celebration of the Province for all the religious brothers who are celebrating the anniversaries (25, 50 or 60 years) of their religious profession and priesthood and it is an important moment for the Province because it is one of the few occasions that allows us to meet each other at a moment of joy in order to tell each other about our experiences and to share the joy of being religious. This was an opportunity to update the religious about the deliberations of the recent Extraordinary General Chapter and also to honour and greet Fr. Gianfranco Lunardon who had just been elected a General Consultor of the Order and who had left the chaplaincy of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute of Bologna for the generalate house of Rome.

Look here at the photographic gallery 

The anniversaries were many in number:

25th anniversary of first profession

Fr. Anziliero Pasquale, Fr. Gurini Paolo; Fr. Negrini Davide; Fr. Valli Pier Paolo.

50th anniversary of first profession

Fr. Bisoffi Giuseppe (Delegation of the United States); Fr. Sapori Eugenio; Fr. Stragliotto Giovanni.

60th anniversary of first profession

Fr. Fantin Domenico; Fr. Padovan Agostino; Fr. Serripierro Adolfo (Province of Brazil.

25th anniversary of priesthood

Fr. Bonaventura Giacomo; Fr. Cipriano Joaquim Paulo; Fr. Ramello Mario.

50th anniversary of priesthood

Fr. Didonè Giuseppe (Taiwan); Fr. Guarise Celeste (Mexico); Fr. Tarraran Adriano (Colombia); Fr. Vanzo Carlo; Fr. Zanchetta Luigino.

60th anniversary of priesthood

Fr. Anselmi Angelo Marco; Fr. Castelli Floriano; Fr. Scapin Bruno.

BENIN

The diocese of d’Abomey in Bénin celebrated the closing of the Camillian jubilee year with a great event on Saturday 19 July 2014. Bishop Monsignor Eugène Cyrille Houndekon also took part in the celebrations. Look at the video of the celebrations by clicking here

THE PROVINCE OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Province of the Philippines (the Philippines and Taiwan) has ended its celebrations for the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus de Lellis (12-14 July). The aim of these activities was to celebrate the figure of St. Camillus; to revive and revitalise the passion for merciful Christ of St. Camillus who begun a new school of charity; and to achieve the humanisation and the evangelisation of health care.

THE PHILIPPINES

The most important moments were the painting prize, awards to the lay staff and co-workers, the presentation of twenty-seven new members of the Lay Camillian Family (LCF), the Holy Mass for the sick, and the reading in drama form of the Transit of St. Camillus. For the painting competition organised by the Kunst Gallery (Germany), 59 artists from all over the world  had entered their works, fifteen of which were selected for the final. On the special day  the Holy Mass was presided over by Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales of Manila.

Eight ‘loyalty service’ prizes were awarded and eleven ‘St. Camillus’ prizes to those who have worked with the CTF (Camillian Task Force) or with the Order itself. The most moving event was certainly the reading of the Transit of St. Camillus.

The celebrations for the fourth centenary will continue until the end of December.

Taiwan

In Taiwan the celebrations were opened with a pilgrimage to Bucchianico by twenty-six Taiwanese friends travelling together. An interesting photography exhibition on Camillians missions in Taiwan was put on at the government centre of Ilan. A new house of the community and a new church dedicated to St. Camillus were inaugurated. Thirty-two baptisms have already taken place in this church. Five new people have joined the Lay Camillian Family. Various Holy Masses were celebrated in different places for elderly people, children and the personnel.

The jubilee celebrations for the four-hundredth anniversary of the death of St. Camillus was an opportunity for the inauguration of the new church named after St. Camilus and the new house of the Camillian community. The fiftieth anniversary of the priesthood of Fr. Giuseppe Didonè, who has been a missionary in Taiwan for 49 years, was also celebrated. Msgr. John Hung Shan-chuan, the Archbishop of Taipei, presided over the celebration of the Eucharist.

Look here at the photographic gallery of the celebrations in the Philippines and Taiwan 

COLOMBIA

The ‘Señor de la Divina Misericordia’ community in  Cali, Colombia, decided to celebrate the Camillian jubilee year and the fiftieth anniversary of the presence of the Camillians in Colombia with various appointments.

     1. The Meeting with the personnel of health-care institutions, parish priests and priests, with volunteers and ministers of the Eucharist; the promotion of the ‘Diaconia de la Salud’ as called for by the Archbishop of Cali, Msgr. Darío de Jesús Monsalve Mejía, in order to revitalise pastoral care in health in the diocese.

2. The Celebration of the Feast Day of St. Camillus with the sick and the personnel of health-care institutions where we offer our service (Hospital Universitario del Vale, Imbanaco, Clínica Tequendama), every day saying the novena of St. Camillus (Imbanaco) and describing the aspects of the life of St. Camillus (Hospital Universitario) during Holy Mass every day.

3. Religious Profession: on 13 July during the celebration of the Eucharist the seminarian Javier Antonio Perez Tequina who for over a year has been a part of the community and who after his experience in the religious family and in the world of education continued to follow the religious life, made his first religious profession in order to continue to share and promote the merciful love of Christ for the sick.

4. The Celebration of the Camillian Jubilee: on 14 July there was a great Camillian celebration with the commemoration of the death of St. Camillus and the fiftieth anniversary of the presence of the Camillians in Colombia.

    The Holy Mass celebrated on the feast day of St. Camillus witnessed the presence of more than a thousand people. In addition to the community and the Delegation Superior we may refer to the presence of the Archbishop of Cali, the Bishop Emeritus, parish priests, ministers of the Eucharist, volunteers, religious, health-care personnel and very many friends.

Special thanks go to Fr. John Jairo, the organiser of this important event. With pride we can say ‘mission accomplished’, St. Camillus will certainly be happy in heaven. The Camillian charism has been transmitted to many people.

COLOMBIA – BOGOTÀ

Fr. Leocir Pessini, the Superior General, presided over the celebrations for the fiftieth anniversary of the presence of the Camillians in Colombia. Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gómez, the Archbishop of Bogotà, presided over the celebration of the Eucharist in honour of the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination of Fr.  Adriano Tarraran.

ACIREALE (CATANIA)

The civic and religious community of Acireale celebrated St. Camillus, their fellow citizen, in a solemn way. Amongst the most important appointments we may refer to that on 18 July hosted by the John XXIII Psycho-Pedagogic Medical Institute, an institution that cares for diversely abled men and women. About 250 people took part in the Holy Mass celebrated in the open by the new General Consultor of the Order, Father Aris Miranda (this was his first visit to Acireale) and concelebrated by the Superior of the Province of Sicily and Naples, Father Rosario Mauriello. Members of the Camillian communities of Acireale and Guardia Mangano, as well as the sisters Women Ministers of the Sick and the Daughters of St. Camillus, were also present.

Look here at the photographic gallery

MILAN

On the occasion of the celebrations for the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus, on Sunday 6 July Cardinal Angelo Scola presided over the solemn celebration of the Eucharist in the St. Camillus Sanctuary of Milan. The presence of the Camillians in Milan goes back to 1594 when it was conceived of and decided by the Founder, St. Camillus.

Look here at the photographic gallery

VENICE

On Thursday 10 July the Patriarch of Venice, Monsignor Francesco Moraglia, presided over the solemn celebration of the Eucharist in the Church of the Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico I.R.C.C.S – Ospedale San Camillo del Lido of Venice.

Immediately afterwards he blessed the ‘Access 303’ embarkation point which will allow the patients to engage in rehabilitation activity and physiotherapy in the lagoon area. The Patriarch stayed some time with the patients of the hospital and their family relatives, receiving as a gift a small plant grown in the therapeutic garden of the Institute which he inaugurated last year.

Look here at the photographic gallery

Read here the press information