We would like to share with you a number of reflections of Brother Gianni Dalla Rizza who is a Camillian missionary in Thailand!

Two motivations accompanied the celebrations of the fourth centenary of St. Camillus in the land of Siam!

1. So as not to Forget

A memory of something that is important has united the whole of the Camillian Order during this jubilee year and has helped the shared thought of our religious brothers with a view to rediscovering the greatness of our Founder.

In Thailand, in our houses and in the contexts that are near to us the atmosphere is still dense in meaning and emotions because of the visit of the relic of the heart of St. Camillus which took place a short time ago.

We live in a context permeated by Buddhist and animist spirituality and we were therefore amazed by the large crowd that came to pay tribute to this valuable relic: a heart, the heart of Camillus, which beat only for Love and which God wanted to remain intact for centuries in order to testify that only Faith transformed into charity can produce real fruits of mercy and good for all men and for every man, above all those who are most frail and most in need.

In this climate and with these feelings the Province of Thailand of the Camillian religious immediately adhered to the invitation to commemorate and celebrate in the profoundest way the jubilee year of the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus.

The celebrations began in the generalate house of the Province. Given previous experiences it was immediately believed that the church of the pastoral centre was insufficient to accommodate all the faithful. We thus asked for the help and the cooperation of the local parish which very willingly provided us with support and with what was needed to ensure that the opening ceremony could be held in a worthy way.

The letter granting the plenary indulgence was printed in a very large form both in the official language and in Thai.

And every religious house did its best to remember the event. We were urged to do this by the frequent and targeted appeals of the Provincial Superior and his council. Of importance were the Provincial meetings that we celebrated every two months in the form of a Provincial spiritual retreat and which addressed questions and issues appropriate to what was about to be celebrated. Participation was very good throughout the year.

The ending of the jubilee year was celebrated at the community of Samphran on 12 July. All the bishops of the dioceses where we work were present as well as a hundred priests and more than a thousand faithful.

2. We are not Like Those who Have no Hope

What better way to close the Camillian jubilee year than adding new shoots to its little plant? And such was the case. Indeed, three new priests were ordained who will be at one and the same time a memorial to what we have celebrated and a future hope for our religious Province which has already put deep roots down in Vietnam and is now thinking of expanding to nearby lands.

Of great importance also was the ceremony for the awarding of diplomas to those who work with us and to volunteers who support our Order with both spiritual and economic help and who encourage us to reach the largest possible number of people in need, following the example of the Heart of Camillus which beat only for Love

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