Saint Damien of Molokai
A Belgian priest who lived and died among leprosy patients on Molokai
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Priest, Missionary, Religious
- Life
- 1840 – 1889
- Era
- 19th century
- Feast
- 10 May
- Countries
- Belgium, United States
Life story
Jozef De Veuster was born on 3 January 1840 at Tremelo in Belgium into a farming family. He joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts (Picpus Fathers) and took the religious name Damien. In 1864 he was sent to Hawaii in place of a sick brother and was ordained a priest in Honolulu the same year.
The Kingdom of Hawaii then forced people with leprosy into an isolated settlement at Kalaupapa on the northern peninsula of Molokai, where they lived in want. In 1873 Damien volunteered to go there. He dressed wounds, built houses and a church, dug channels to bring water, helped with burials and set up a mutual-aid group for the villagers.
In 1885 he recognised that he himself had leprosy. He kept working until his health collapsed, helped by several people, including Sister Marianne Cope and her companions. He died on 15 April 1889 and was buried at Kalaupapa; part of his remains were later returned to Belgium.
His story was spread by the international press, drawing wide attention to people with leprosy. John Paul II beatified him in 1995, and Benedict XVI canonised him on 11 October 2009. He is often named patron of those with leprosy. Kalaupapa still exists today as a national historical park in Hawaii. His feast is kept on 10 May in the Church's calendar. Hawaii honours him with a statue in the United States Capitol, given by the state in 1969.
Works and witness
- Went to Hawaii in 1864 and was ordained in Honolulu
- Volunteered for Kalaupapa on Molokai in 1873
- Built houses, a church and a water supply for the patients
- Recognised his own leprosy in 1885
- Beatified in 1995, canonised in 2009
Patron of
People with leprosy
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
- Hilde Eynikel, Father Damien: biographical studies
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.