This is the age of the Laity in the Church. In parishes and dioceses, lay persons are assuming greater responsibility and leadership in their rightful roles of living out their baptismal vows. In sectors such as education and healthcare, religious can no longer provide the services they did in the past when their numbers permitted such ministries.

The tradition of involving Laity goes back to St. Camillus himself. The first community that Camillus established, in 1582, was a group of Lay men working with the sick. After we became a vowed Order in 1591, Camillus shortly afterwards found a group of Lay people to work alongside the Order and to assist the Order in its ministry. Thus the roots of Lay collaboration, presently identified as “Lay Camillian Family” go back to the very beginning of our Institute.

As Camillians, we recognize that our role is changing from primary, hands-on caregivers to collaborators with lay healthcare professionals who do most of the direct care giving. We also recognize that if our tradition is to flourish in this country, in part it will be the cooperative effort of the Laity sharing our charism, our spirituality – in their own distinctive ways – becoming Christ’s hands and feet, heart and mind, to love and care for the sick.

Our role is to provide formation and empowerment of the Laity to become Camillian. St. Camillus’ original dream was for a band of lay men to join in common ministry, bonded to one another by their love for and their service for the sick. This dream takes a new form today in this animation of the Laity with whom we share what is most precious to us, our charism and our spirituality.

Lay staff and administrators strive to provide the best technical care and the most compassionate presence to the sick and elderly on our centres. As Camillians, we have the responsibility to promote mission awareness not only in our facilities but in all of our ministries. Together with the Laity we devote ourselves to caring for the sick “as a mother cares for her only sick child.” (St. Camillus to his followers)

Our Constitution (Art. 52) states, “Using every suitable means of the apostolate, we dedicate ourselves to the ethical formation and Christian animation of health care workers….”

It is evident that there is a desire for many people to not only be involved but be committed to the work that Camillus began some four hundred years ago, with the same spirituality and love for those we serve.

And so, the invitation goes out not only to our staff members but to the residents, the families, to friends and benefactors of the Order, to our volunteers, to parishioners in those parishes where Camillians are active, and to those beyond these borders. It is a living out of the invitation that Jesus Himself gives to us and models for us in the care and concern that He had for the sick of His day.