Saint Damien of Molokai
Stored in Cargo: Saint Damien of Molokai
| Saint Damien of Molokai | |
| Feast Day | May 10 |
|---|---|
| Liturgical Class | |
| Patronage | Leprosy patients, outcasts, Hawaii, people with HIV/AIDS |
| Birthplace | Tremelo, Brabant, Belgium |
| Death Place | Kalaupapa, Molokai, Kingdom of Hawaii (now USA) |
| Cause of Death | Natural causes (leprosy complications) |
| Primary Shrine | St. Damien Church, Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hawaii |
Saint Damien of Molokai, born Jozef De Veuster on January 3, 1840, in the City of Tremelo, Brabant, Belgium, was a missionary priest who devoted his life to leprosy patients in the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula of Molokai, Hawaii. Joining the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1859 after training in a Seminary, he volunteered in 1873 to serve the Parish of Kalawao, a leprosy colony under the Diocese of Honolulu. Building churches and hospitals, he restored dignity to the afflicted using the Latin Rite. Contracting leprosy in 1884, he continued his work—caring for orphans and preaching—until his death on April 15, 1889, at 49. His selflessness, praised by figures like Robert Louis Stevenson, made him a global icon, akin to an Archbishop of Paris in moral stature.
Canonized on October 11, 2009, by Pope Benedict XVI, Damien’s feast day, May 10, draws pilgrims to St. Damien Church in Kalaupapa, where his relics rest. Patron of leprosy patients, outcasts, and Hawaii, his miracles—posthumous healings—affirmed his place among Saints. His life, documented in Sacred Hearts archives, shows a priest who embraced the forsaken, his legacy enduring in Molokai’s restored community and worldwide devotion to the “leper priest.”
Biography
Birth
Saint Damien was born Jozef De Veuster on January 3, 1840, in Tremelo, Brabant, to Joannes De Veuster, a farmer, and Anne-Catherine Wouters. Raised in a devout family, his rural Flemish upbringing in Belgium bred resilience. Tremelo’s fields nurtured his early faith.
His zeal at 19 led to a missionary’s path, far from his homeland’s calm.
Early Life
Jozef’s youth was marked by devotion; he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in 1859, training at a Seminary in Leuven. Ordained in the City of Honolulu in 1864 within the Diocese of Honolulu, he served Hawaii’s Big Island, building chapels. In 1873, at 33, he volunteered for Molokai’s leprosy Parish, a lifelong mission.
His early life prepared him for sacrifice, shaped by Hawaii’s call.
Occupation
Damien’s occupation was as a missionary priest, serving the Parish of Kalawao from 1873 to 1889. He built homes, treated sores, and led worship in the Latin Rite, transforming Kalaupapa. Diagnosed with leprosy in 1884, he persevered, dying in 1889, his work a beacon of care.
His labor was healing outcasts, ended by disease. Damien’s role was a priest’s love for the forgotten.
Vocation
Damien’s vocation emerged in 1859, a call to missionary life with the Sacred Hearts Fathers. In Molokai from 1873, he lived for lepers—bathing wounds, burying the dead—his own leprosy no deterrent. His death in 1889 fulfilled this, a martyr of charity.
His vocation peaked in Kalaupapa, a Saint among the sick. Damien’s life was a total gift to Christ’s poor.
Death
Saint Damien met his end on April 15, 1889, in Kalaupapa, Molokai, dying at 49 of leprosy complications. Weakened for years, he passed in his mission church, buried nearby—relics later split between Hawaii and Belgium. His death awed the world.
His passing birthed devotion, his grave a shrine. Damien’s death closed a life of heroic care.
Significant events
- Joined Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, 1859.
- Arrived in Molokai, May 10, 1873.
- Contracted leprosy, 1884.
- Died April 15, 1889.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Tremelo, Brabant, Belgium
Death location: Kalaupapa, Molokai, Kingdom of Hawaii (now USA)
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Notable location:
Parishes
| Damien of Molokai |
|---|
|
No results |
| This map created from a Cargo query () |
Canonization
Servant of God
The process began in 1938 in Belgium, spurred by his fame and letters.
Venerable
Declared Venerable in 1977 by Pope Paul VI, his virtue affirmed after review.
Beatification
Beatified on June 4, 1995, by Pope John Paul II in Koekelberg, Belgium, after a 1994 healing of a nun’s illness via prayers to Damien, verified by inquiry.
Canonization
Canonized on October 11, 2009, by Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City, following a 2008 cure of a woman’s cancer after prayers at his shrine, sealing his place among Saints.
Miracles
Miracle for beatification
In 1994, a French nun with a fatal illness recovered after prayers to Damien, deemed miraculous. Approved in 1995, it echoed his care for the sick, hastening beatification.
Witnessed by her Religious order, this miracle spread his fame, a priest’s grace.
Miracle for canonization
In 2008, a Hawaiian woman’s cancer vanished after prayers at Damien’s Molokai shrine, confirmed inexplicable. Ratified in 2009, it sealed his canonization, reflecting his leper ministry.
This cure affirmed his sainthood, completing his veneration path.
Other notable miracles
- Posthumous healings at Kalaupapa, per tradition.
Patronage
Saint Damien of Molokai is patron of leprosy patients, outcasts, Hawaii, and people with HIV/AIDS.
Feast day
The feast day of Saint Damien of Molokai is celebrated on May 10.
Veneration
Saint Damien is venerated through prayers for the sick, centered at St. Damien Church in the Parish of Kalaupapa, where relics rest. With cassock or bandages, his cult thrives in Hawaii, his May 10 feast inspiring charity. His life, via letters, guides compassion for outcasts, rivaling a Archbishop of Paris in impact.
Books
Written about the saint
- *Damien the Leper* by John Farrow (1937)
- "The Heart of Father Damien" by Vital Jourdain
Written by the saint
- Letters from Molokai (archived by Sacred Hearts Fathers)