Indonesia’s First Camillian Charitable Building to Rise in Nita

Camillian missionaries have laid the foundation for their first charitable institution in Indonesia, the St. Camillus House of Charity.

The facility will be built in the village of Nita on the island of Flores, next to the Camillian Philosophical and Theological Seminary.

During the foundation-laying ceremony on July 30, Italian Camillian missionary Fr. Luigi Galvani described the event as “simple and full of meaning.”

“[It] testifies to how the seeds of St. Camillus’ charism, planted in this country about fifteen years ago, are beginning to bear concrete fruits of love and service,” he told Fides News Agency.

Fr. Galvani explained that the new House of Charity will serve the sick, the poor, and marginalised groups, at the heart of the mission of their founder, St. Camillus de Lellis.

On May 10, the Camillians also inaugurated their second social center in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province on the island of Timor. This project, marking their 15 years of presence in Indonesia, was supported by the Italian Bishops’ Conference and private donors.

With 43 student rooms, a conference hall, meeting rooms, and a fully equipped kitchen and dining area, the center aims to meet the region’s educational and social needs.

The Camillian missionaries are dedicated to providing pastoral, health, and educational services to some of the world’s most underserved and vulnerable communities.

According to their official website, their mission in Indonesia currently spans the islands of Flores and Timor, the Catholic-majority areas of the country.

As of 2024, the Indonesian mission includes 16 priests, six deacons, 29 scholastics, 10 novices, 35 postulant philosophers, and 19 aspirants.