Some History

Often in the past when a friend or relative is facing a difficult situation, be it illness,job seeking, pregnancy, approaching death etc. ,I have called on the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters to pray for the special intention. I have sent their prayers to people of many religions and to people with no religion. This order of nuns is contemplative. Their mission is prayer. Unique to them is their color of habit,which is more a shocking pink than anything. They have three convents in the USA- St. Louis, MO., Philadelphia,PA and Lincoln, NE. I thought I'd share one tidbit of information from them. St. Camillis De Lellis , 6'6" tall and exceptionally strong, was the son of a Naples soldier. He, too, became a soldier, led a life without restraints,and came to the Incurables Hospital in Rome at age 25, his health broken. There he was eventually converted to Christ. Though still incurably ill himself, he began serving the sick, gathered others to this work, started a religious order, and became a priest. In 1586, Pope Sixtus V gave Camillus and his religious permission to wear a large red cross on their habits. As his order and its work spread, the emblem served to inspire the sick and dying to sentiments of confidence and contrition, and devotion to the red cross became popular. The custom of the sick wearing small red crosses has become world-wide, and the Church provides a special blessing for them in the Ritual. Camillus was declared a saint in 1746 and has been named patron of the sick, of nurses, and of hospitals. His feastday is July 18th.