Our best wishes go to the young Camillian religious who in recent days have made their first religious professions, and to the young Camillian who has been ordained a priest:
Aécio Honorato Da Silva – of the Province of Brazil, 18 September 2016 – perpetual religious profession in the ‘Nossa Senhora da Boa Esperança’ Parish, Pinhais/PR,  PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY.
Nicola Docimo – of the Province of North Italy, 8 October 2016 – perpetual religious profession in the Church of Santa Maria del Paradiso, Verona, PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY.
Marco Specchia and Antonio Ricci – of the Province of Rome, 2 October 2016 – first religious professions in the Church of Sant’Urbano in Bucchianico, Chieti, PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY.
Antonio Zinni – of the Province of Rome, 8 October 2016 – priestly ordination at the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore,  Vasto, and first celebration of a Holy Mass on 9 October 2016 at the Church of San Pietro in Sant’Antonio (Vasto – CH) PHOTOGRAPHIC GALLERY.

Jesus was a free man and thus an authentic ‘consecrated’ man.

     OBEDIENCE. A man free from himself because he loved himself, but as a gift received from God, to be unwrapped, to be lived, to be shared. A man who interpreted his freedom as joyous adherence to the will of the Father and who made the accomplishment of that will his food. You choose to place your steps in the footsteps of this man and to live your freedom in this way.

     POVERTY. A man free from things because he loved things but as part of a greater project that was so great as to include ‘sister death’. He despised nothing that was beautiful and good around him, but he needed nothing and he could do without everything because he felt free to be without having.

     CHASTITY. A man free in affections, but because he knew how to love and above all because he allowed himself to be loved, to be touched, to be drawn near to: supportive of everyone and compromised with none, able to shake all hands, without keeping hold of any.

     A free man so as to encounter, to love, to wait, to recognise defeats, to thank, to serve, to heal, to listen, to share, to criticise, to raise up…

You are placing yourself in the footsteps of this man.

    You know, however, that the pathway of this man is fixed and demanding, and above all you know where your steps lead you: the shadow of the cross is also against the light of the joyous splendour of the celebration of today. The cross that you will receive in a little while tells you that in the life of Jesus love is simply called sacrifice and brings total self-giving.

Such is the life of a man who is consecrated by the Lord – a free life of giving everything.

We entrust you to faithfulness to God: it will never abandon you.

We accompany you with affection and prayers, invoking upon you the protection of Mary, the Mother who offered her life; of St. Camillus, your, and our, patron saint; of St. Francis of Paola (the saint of your youth and your birthplace); and of all the saints. Amen.