Within the framework of the celebrations for the fourth centenary, the journey continues of the relic of the heart of St. Camillus. A few kilometres separate the Church of St. Mary Magdalene from the Vannini Hospital, but this stage is especially intense and significant.

The celebration began at the entrance to the hospital with the greetings of His Excellency Msgr. Lorenzo Leuzzzi, the Bishop-Delegate for pastoral care in health of the Vicariate of Rome. After emphasising the importance of the event, Msgr. Leuzzi expressed the wish that in all the prefectures of Rome the message of St. Camillus could be transmitted with the same intensity.

Femblematic as regards the life journey of the saint. Father Salvatore than observed that St. Camillus preferred to abandon the leadership of the Order that he had founded to go back to dedicating himself to the suffering, seeing this service as heaven on earth, a first instalment of the celestial prize. Lastly, he expressed the hope that this event could be a stimulus for reflection about the Camillian message.

A procession then began in which stood out in their uniforms the 150 students of the Father Luigi Tezza Nursing School. After going through a ward, the relic reached the chapel of the hospital for an involving celebration of the Eucharist animated by songs with phrases of St. Camillus composed by the students themselves.

At the end of the Holy Mass the relic was accompanied by the bishop and the celebrants to the resuscitation ward to being a sign of hope to perhaps the harshest and most difficult place in the hospital.

The relic will be at the Vannini Hospital until 17 October. For the complete programme click here.

In the video the moment of the Eucharist accompanied by the very fine song ‘More Heart in Those Hands’.