“Our Order, formed by its nature of clerical religious and lay religious, called by fathers and brothers by St. Camillus, has, as its purpose, complete service of the sick person in the totality of his being” (Constitution Art. 43).

Dear confreres,

I greet you with fraternity and gratitude, hoping that this letter of mine finds you in peace and health!

I would like to share with you, briefly, some thoughts on our Camillian ministry and ongoing activities that keep the Camillian spirit of our commitment glowing both at the central level of the Order and in the various provinces, delegations and missions.

During the pastoral visits, together with the consulta, I witnessed how the commitment of our confreres and their collaborators is constant and generates intense ministerial experiences of caring for the sick and the poor: such a witness elicits credibility and esteem toward the charism of mercy that God, through the intercession of St. Camillus, still entrusts to us as consecrated individuals and communities.

Together with the general councilors, I have already visited all the countries of Latin America, except Brazil, where Camillians live and work. In Africa, I have already had the opportunity to meet Camillian religious and communities in Madagascar, Tanzania, Uganda and Benin-Togo. On the European continent, I have made some visits to Camillians in Germany, Hungary, Holland, France, Ireland, Austria, Georgia, Armenia and in some communities of the three Camillian provinces in Italy. In Asia, together with two councilors, we met the confreres of the young delegation in Indonesia. The general councilors also met individual religious and communities in different provinces, delegations and missions on specific events pertaining to their area of responsibility within the general administration of the Order.

In general, our ministry is experienced positively in the provinces and delegations. This ‘identity’ adherence to the Camillian charism is to be credited to the effort and commitment of each of you, and to the concrete and fraternal collaboration among the provinces. I have been able to see the importance of the Camillian ministry of presence and ‘touch’ alongside the sick, the fragile, and the neediest. The sick are welcomed, assisted and cared for with love and competence in our chaplaincies, hospitals and social facilities, with different latitudes and with the nuances proper to different cultures. Our services enjoy good credibility with ecclesiastical and civil authorities, and especially with the ‘people’ who daily entrust their hope for healing and consolation to us. At the same time, we wish to deepen the discussion on our large health care facilities present in some provinces. It is crucial to discern the extent of the testimonial credibility ad-extra and ad-intra of the religious community and the economic sustainability of these structures, with a future-oriented perspective.

So many religious are dynamically involved in the health ministry of national bishops’ conferences and in diocesan life, and they also undertake important roles. In some countries, through Camillian centers of pastoral formation and their offering of specialized conferences and courses, it is possible to interact with the fabric of health care and volunteerism.

In contexts where the Catholics are a minority among the great spiritual and religious traditions, our confreres have gained credibility precisely through the quality of service and the gratuitousness of mercy toward the sick.

With much creativity every day you interpret and actualize to the best of your ability the true meaning of our charism even in difficult contexts.

The collaboration of the Lay Camillian Family, combined with the animation of volunteers’ groups, of the faithful in the parishes and rectories entrusted to our pastoral care, represents a sign of the times that appeals to us, consecrated Camillians.

With this in mind, the upcoming jubilee, a joyful and grateful expression of the 450th anniversary of the conversion of Camillus de Lellis, our Founder (February 2, 2025 – to December 8, 2025), will be a providential opportunity to implement the varied ministry we already live and to discern and plan new areas with hope and commitment.

I invite you all to get involved in the various celebrative moments that aim precisely at this goal – our charismatic legacy, commitment to current events, and hope for the future. The central commission has prepared the general jubilee program and has already sent it to all provinces and delegations: only four celebrative events are planned with all members of the Camillian Charismatic Family (CCF). I hope that all of you live the jubilee with intensity and participate in large numbers in the scheduled celebrations. The various religious institutes and communities of the CCF that are present in the provinces and delegations shall organize other jubilee events locally.

The General Secretariat for Ministry in collaboration with CCF members is finalizing the planning and practical aspects for the opening of the Camillian Study Center (CSC) in Rome. As defined by the last General Chapter of the Order (May 2022), this institution will have the task of coordinating the various Camillian Pastoral Care Centers in the world, of promoting Camillian culture in all possible ways, of preserving and keeping alive the material, immaterial and cultural heritage of the former Camillianum (the ‘brand’, the library, the archives, the reflections and academic publications, etc.) in the Church and in the post-modern cultural and social context, and of creating a collaborative synergy among the various religious institutes of the CCF to support research and publication of scientific articles on all topics pertaining to the world of health.

In order to activate and publish with continuity a scientific journal of the Camillian Study Center and to value the many intellectual skills of Camillian religious, we have already initiated a collection of personal data of several confreres and sisters who have already acquired specialized skills in the world of health and health care. We request provincial and delegation councilors to take steps to complete the data collection, as per the digital format that the secretariat for ministry is preparing.

The CSC will be located in the premises of the former Camillianum. Since this facility is very spacious, the NGO Salute e Sviluppo and the CADIS Foundation will also move their operational headquarters and activities to the former Camillianum, so that together with the CSC they will form a single ministerial, operative, and academic hub.

Under the coordination of the councilor for Ministry Fr. Médard Aboué, a number of regional secretariats for ministry have already been activated: in Asia, Francophone Africa, and Europe.  Fr. Médard’s meetings continue in order to complete the organizational structure of the secretariats for ministry in different geographical areas of the Order.

The journey of ‘Camillian synodality’ continues through the periodic meeting of the superiors general and the respective councils of religious institutes, especially women’s institutes, which share Camillian charism and ministry. Such meetings are also valuable in finalizing a series of joint initiatives that we intend to complete by the end of the present six-year term.

Dear confreres, despite the difficulties of all kinds of our time and the specific context of everyone’s life, let us continue to undertake every service in the world of health, wherever we are, for the building up of the Kingdom of God and the promotion of humanity. Likewise, I also call for evangelical discernment in the face of the major challenges already outlined in our Strategic Plan 2023-2028. I once again invite provinces and delegations and every religious to make it a true instrument of participation and edification of our common vocation of service to the sick.

May the grace of the Lord awaken in us greater generosity and availability for an ever more effective, enthusiastic and creative Camillian commitment.

May Mary, Queen of the Ministers of the Sick, continue to protect our steps.

Fr. Pedro Tramontin MI