Catholic Faith and Reflections

At about 8:10 PM the acclamation, “The Light of Christ!” will be heard in the local parish, and the alleluias will follow the singing of the Exultet. But for now, the Great Silence continues……

As we wait, here is some additional information about St. Damien of Molokai of whom I have written recently. The following is taken from an insert that came with a silver medallion I purchased on Kalaupapa when I made my pilgrimage there a few weeks ago. The insert is printed by the Northwest Territorial Mint out of Audburn, Washington.

Joseph De Veuster, the seventh of eight children of Frans and Anne-Catherine De Veuster, was born on January 3, 1840 in the hamlet of Tremeloo, Belgium. His Flemish-speaking parents were fairly well-to-do peasants who raised their children in an environment of rural tranquility and Christian piety. Joseph’s early education came from his mother who often read the children stories about the lives of the saints. Joseph had an inclination for solitude and self-denial, which became more noticeable as he grew older.

Like his older brother Pamphile, Joseph joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts. On February 2, 1859, he chose the name Damien. Damien is the Belgium version of Damian, which is derived from the original Latin, Damianus. Joseph’s patron saint had been a physician from Cilicia, an ancient country in Asia Minor. This saint, along with his twin brother Cosmas, was persecuted for his Christian zeal, tortured mercilessly, and finally beheaded in Syria around the year 303 AD. Many healing miracles were attributed to Cosmas and Damian after their deaths.

In 1863, Pamphile was chosen to serve as a missionary in the “Sandwich Islands” (Hawaii). Prior to sailing, he came down with typhus, so Joseph offered to go in his place. After a five-month journey, Joseph finally reached Honolulu on March 19, 1864. In May of that year, he was ordained into the priesthood at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu where he became Father Damien. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to the Big Island of Hawaii where he spent eight years ministering to the people, first in the district of Puna and then in the districts of Kohala and Hamakua. During these years, Damien became fluent in the Hawaiian language and he developed a resourcefulness that assured his success at his next mission – the Hansen’s disease (leprosy) settlement of Kalawao on the island of Molokai.

Over the past 100 years, Hawaiians had suffered huge casualties from measles, cholera, typhus, and other western diseases. For Hawaiians, leprosy became the worst of the plagues since its victims were separated from the rest of society. When Father Damien arrived at the settlement, Kalawao was a lawless society. Its inhabitants, banished from society, weak, bitter, and desperate, had nothing to lose. While not the first caregiver or religious worker, Father Damien offered hope. He helped build houses, plant trees, and build a water system. He organized schools, bands, and choirs. He cared for the living and buried the dead. He expanded St. Philomena Catholic Church, which became a place of joy. His badgering  of the Hawaiian government and his own church for more supplies and resources attracted worldwide attention.

At some point, Father Damien had contracted leprosy. His desire to serve the patients overshadowed his concerns for personal hygiene. At the age of 49, Damien died on April 15, 1889 with Mother Marianne Cope at his side. Mother Marianne, along with other sisters from the Order of St. Francis and brothers of the Sacred Heart would carry Damien’s work into the next century.

Father Damien was buried in the cemetery next to St. Philomena Church. In 1936, His remains were exhumed and reburied at a crypt at St. Joseph Chapel in Louvain, Belgium. in 1938, the Catholic Church initiated beatification proceedings. On June 4, 1995, Pope John Paul II beatified Damien and gave him his official spiritual title, Blessed Damien of Molokai. This was the final step before canonization (sainthood). Also in 1995, a relic, consisting of the bones of Damien’s right hand, was returned to his original grave at Kalawao. On October 11, 2009, formal canonization ceremonies for Saint Damien of Molokai took place in Rome. His symbols are a tree and a dove. Even today, Damien’s life of service to the outcasts of Kalawao continues to serve as an inspiration to others.

St. Damien of Molokai, pray for us!