Homily: July 18 - St. Camillus - Con-man turned Saint

As a child, Camillus gave his parents nothing but trouble.  He got into fights with neighborhood boys, he skipped school, he learned, but wouldn’t say his prayers, he was so quick to unleash his violent temper that his mother was actually afraid of him.

At the age of seventeen, Camillus joined his father as a mercenary soldier, and he quickly picked up a lot of the vices of the military camp—swearing, drinking, visiting prostitutes.  He and his father, Giovanni, even teamed up as a father and son con artists, swindling their fellow soldiers.  They went from war to war when Camillus’ father fell seriously ill.  Giovanni sent his son to fetch a priest, and after Giovanni made a good confession, repenting from all his sins and crimes, he received Holy Communion for the last time and died.

This was a turning point in Camillus’ life…sort of.  He had heard of deathbed conversions, but never thought his father, a life time gambler and conman, would ever call for a priest in order to die in a state of grace.  He decided to join up with the Franciscans, but that didn’t last long, he soon fell into gambling again.   However, this time, his luck ran out, he lost everything and became destitute. 

A wealthy gentleman gave him a job doing menial construction work.  But, Camillus began to acquire two virtues he had never tried to cultivate before: self-discipline and responsibility.  When his construction job was done he set out for Rome to work at the famous Hospital of San Giacomo. 

While in Rome, Camillus founded a religious order and was ordained a priest.  The last thirty years of his life, Camillus spent nursing the sick.

As he lay dying, he became anxious that his old sins might outweigh his good works.  He told a Carmellite friar who visited him, “please pray for me, for I have been a great sinner, a gambler, and a man of bad life.”  Yet, in his final hour, Camillus’ made a beautiful act of confidence in God’s mercy.  He stretched his arms out so his body took the form of a cross, and giving thanks for the Blood of Christ that had washed away his sins, he died.

St. Camillus de Lellis lies buried in the little Church of Santa Maria Maddalena in Rome.  And in 1886 Pope Leo XII named him patron saint of nurses.

At many points in his life, it seemed unlikely that Camillus would come to such great holiness.  So we must be patient with the people in our lives who are struggling to find the right path, and become God’s instruments to help them come to grace, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.