The heart relic of St. Camillus has arrived in Indonesia and will be in the country for about a month (Photo is supplied by Servasia Luciana)
The heart relic of Camillus de Lellis, patron saint of the sick and health workers, arrived in Indonesia on April 2 for a month-long visit.
The saint’s heart relic, which is in Indonesia for the first time, arrived after having been in the Philippines for the last two months.
Visit organizer, Camillian Father Cyrilus Suparman Andi, said the relic was immediately taken to Ruteng, capital of Manggarai district in the predominantly Catholic province of East Nusa Tenggara.
“It will be kept in turn in some parishes and hospitals there until April 12 in order to give an opportunity to local Catholics to pay homage to it,” he said.
St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral Church and St. Raphael Hospital are two-such venues.
The priest said relic would later be taken to Maumere, in Sikka district, and displayed in the chapel of St. Camillus Major Seminary as well as several other locations until April 21.
The relic will spend the rest of its time in Indonesia at various locations in Jakarta, including St. Carolus Hospital and St. Matthew the Apostle Church.
“We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the St. Camillus order being in Indonesia. It came to Maumere in 2009. So this is a chance for us to welcome the visit of the saint’s heart relic,” he said, adding that there are 72 Camillian seminarians and four Camillian priests in Indonesia.
He hoped the relic visit would inspire Catholics, particularly health workers to live the spirituality of St. Camillus who served the sick.
Servasia Luciana, one of the organizers for the relic’s stay in Jakarta, suggested that Catholics register before paying homage to the saintly heart relic.
“This is to gauge the number of people coming to pay homage,” she said, adding that an registration form is available online for each venue where the relic will appear.
During his lifetime, St. Camillus fell ill, and while in hospital he realized that God was calling him to serve the sick.
It led him to establish a religious congregation, the Order of Servants of the Sick, or Order of St. Camillus, in 1582 in Rome to serve the sick and poor. The order was recognized in 1586.
St. Camillus’ heart was removed an hour after his death on July 14, 1614. It was later enshrined in the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Rome.
