THE REASON WHY I BECAME A CAMILLIAN.

I am Richard Lubaale, a Camillian Religious. I decided to join the Camillian Order in 2004 after I was touched by their availability to the sick and the care they give to sick serving them spiritually, psychologically and physically.

I come from Uganda, a country where work of hospital ministry is not much emphasized. During my time as a diocesan seminarian, I knew little about priests and brothers’ service to the sick other than priests’ administration of the Sacrament of Anointing the Sick and Viaticum to patients.

So when I came to learn about the Camillian Order through two Camillian seminarians; Peter and Frank whom I met during their pastoral experience in Kamuli Mission Hospital, I was impressed and touched by the Camillian charism and their Spirituality, especially their service to the sick; spiritually, psychologically and physically as Camillian Brothers and Priests working directly with the sick. Thus the reason why I chose to become a Camillian Religious.

But key to the reasons given above is the motivation of serving God through others. I was very impressed with the Camillian service to the sick through the hospital ministry. After my experience in Kitovu hospital in Masaka district I came in touch with the true experience of serving God through the sick, not as a patient or an attendant to a patient but as a Camillian aspirant to religious life. This is an experience that influenced my desire to become Camillian religious even more.

Finally the other reason that influenced my desire to become a Camillian was the experience of community life. Coming from a diocesan background of formation I had very little experience about community life. But during the orientation period in Nairobi, I was impressed by the communitarian spirit and life of fraternity that I found among the Camillian seminarians in the formation house where we were staying and living with them.

Therefore in a nutshell I can say that it was the desire to serve God, especially through hospital ministry and care for the sick and the communitarian spirit among the Camillian fraternity that touched me to join them as a Camillian Religious.
Richard Lubaale  MI