The Camillian Task Force (CTF) Leaders’ Conference was held last February 12-17, 2009 at the Generalate, Piazza della Maddalena, Rome, Italy. Together with 16 participants coming from various countries, Fr. Aristelo Miranda, MI and Fr. Charly Ricafort, MI attended the said liturgical, formative, and social gathering.

As a liturgical fellowship, various liturgical rites with special intentions for victims of disasters were part of the daily activities.

As a formative training, two main speakers were invited by the Central CTF under the Commission on Mission. Dr. Eva Muenker-Kramer shared her expertise on psychological intervention for victims of traumatic experiences. She gave a brief history of the psychology of disasters, schools of thought, and priority areas of intervention. Fr. Hugues Deletraz narrated the richness of their experiences in the Jesuit Refugee Service. They have a three-fold mission: to journey with, to serve, and to defend the rights of refugees. He shared that journeying with the people includes learning their language and eating the same food.

As a social assembly, participants also shared their experiences in providing relief in calamities and derived some significant insights as guidelines for future interventions. The sharing ended with CTF goals and plans formulated for the next two years.

In the Philippine experience (2004-2006), the Provincial Council had tasked the Justice Desk to do the quick reaction activities for victims of various typhoons. The Justice Desk will continue its partnership with CTF to organize a CTF team in the Philippines.

At the disaster site, the CTF team works and worships together with the community. The CTF is committed to collaborating with like-minded organizations and the local church.

In the early years (1590-1700), numerous Camillians were in the front line of providing health care to people affected by plagues and those injured in the battlefield. Continuing this Camillian tradition, let us embrace and share the CTF mission to become witnesses to the merciful love of Christ for the afflicted by responding to the medical and pastoral needs of people affected by man-made and natural disasters regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.