On Sunday 14 September, the feast day of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a solemn concelebration was held in the cathedral presided over by Bishop Msgr. Giovanni Giudici for the closing of the celebrations in Pavia of the fourth centenary of the death of St. Camillus. About fifteen concelebrants were present, and these included the Camillians of Pavia together with some religious brothers and the Superior of the Province of Italy, Father Vittorio Paleari. The date was chosen specifically in order to foster a good participation on the part of the faithful given that in the middle of July many citizens are already on holidays. The cathedral of Pavia, which can hold a large number of people, was practically full, something that rarely takes place during the year. Various patients and disabled people in wheelchairs were also present and they had come spontaneously without being accompanied by associations of volunteers. This bore witness to the fact that devotion to St. Camillus is greater than we expected. From the Sanctuary of St. Camillus in Milan there came the relic of a piece of the femur of the saint. It was placed, well situated between the congregation and the presbytery, just above a picture of St. Camillus, thereby highlighting even more the ‘presence’ of the saint.

This celebration to bring the fourth centenary to an end, a celebration that was solemn but sober, was experienced with great intensity and animated liturgically in an excellent way by the choir of the parish of Giussago (PV).

Let us remember briefly that during the course of the jubilee year in Pavia other celebrations were held in different places and addressed to different categories of people. On the World Day of the Sick of 11 February this year, at the diocesan conference held at the Istituto Santa Margherita for all the associations of health-care voluntary work and pastoral care in health, we commemorated St. Camillus as an exemplary model of certain gospel icons. On 25 May we celebrated the day of his birth in the Parish of St. Mary of Caravaggio, the parish of the polyclinic of Pavia, with a solemn concelebration presided over by the parish priest and coordinator of the pastoral care of the diocese, Don Carluccio Rossetti, together with other Camillians who had been chaplains at the polyclinic. On 28 June at the very fine Teatro Fraschini a musical was performed under the patronage of the city council entitled ‘Camillus Soldier of God’.

Ospedale San Matteo di Pavia dove i Camilliani svolgono il loro servizio pastorale ai malati

In this musical an extraordinary life was described with music and the citizens of Pavia attended in large numbers and greatly appreciated the evening. On 14 July, the day of the fourth centenary of the going to heaven of St. Camillus, was celebrated by us solemnly at the polyclinic together with the inauguration and blessing of the new chapel of the DEA (Emergency and Assistance Department). This last celebration, presided over by Bishop Msgr. Giudici, was prevalently for the patients of the hospital together with its high-level management, medical doctors, nurses and personnel.

Lastly, the latest initiative which we hope to see soon completed is still underway. This a publication of a charismatic historical character which seeks to commemorate the presence of Camillians in Pavia since the year 1694.

These celebrations have highlighted, overall and in different ways, an authentic devotion of the people of Pavia to St. Camillus. He continues to generate admiration and imitation in very many people and to protect from heaven, through his powerful intercession, all sick people in Pavia.

Pavia, 15 September 2014

Fr. Felice de Miranda

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