The Camillians present in the diocese of Maumere, on the Indonesian island of Flores for almost 15 years, celebrated, on Sunday, February 18, 2024, the 32nd World Day of the Sick not only with the patients of the city’s large hospital where Camillians are responsible for pastoral service, but also by bringing their presence of compassion and tenderness to various dozens of sick and elderly people from some parishes. In this way, they wanted to concretely interpret Pope Francis’ message “It is not good for man to be alone”.

The concelebration in the hospital chapel was lively and particularly touching, where two newly ordained Camillian priests and a deacon were the special animators of the event along with sixty seminarians. The latter enriched the Eucharistic liturgy with precious songs and then assisted the seven young Camillian priests during the administration of the Sacrament of Anointing to about 250 patients.

Great joy and emotion were felt by several patients for the visit of these young priests and seminarians, making them forget, at least for a moment, their suffering, loneliness, and isolation.

Even the medical and nursing staff present at the celebration admired the beautiful group of young enthusiastic Camillians of their vocation and capable of being an example and presenting themselves as a great family with “one heart, one soul, and one spirit”, in bringing attention to those who suffer and feel alone. This is the characteristic that once again makes them “living messengers” of their founder, St. Camillus, who wanted them to be “as many Jesuses” in serving the sick and the poor.

Fr. Luigi Galvani MI