Summary on Father Damien of Molokai's Life

Summary on Father Damien of MolokaiÐŽ¦s Life

Who was Father Damien?

„« Father Damien was formally known as Joseph de Veuster

„« He was born on January 3rd 1840

„« Damien was born to a farming couple on Tremeloo Belgium.

„« He attended college at Brine-le-Comte.

„« He entered the congregation of the sacred Hearts of Jesus.

„« He Became a Picpus Brother on October the 7th 1860.

„« Damien followed his brothers dream, now his as well and went into a mission aboard

„« On the 19th of march 1864, he landed at Honolulu Harbour.

„« He was ordained to the priesthood on may 24th 1864 at the cathedral of our lady of peace.

„« Damien believed that the Lepers at the very last needed a priest.

„« On may 10, 1873 Damien arrived at the secluded settlement at Kalaupapa.

„« King David Kalakaua bestowed on Damien the honor Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Kalakaua.

„« ÐŽ§IÐŽ¦m willing to devote my life to leprosy victimsЎЁ, in the end he spent 16 years with the lepers.

„« DamienÐŽ¦s name was spread across the United States and Europe.

„« American Protestants raised large sums of money for the missionary

„« In September 1881, the Hawaiian Princess Liliuokalani visited Molokai.

„« In December 1884 Damien went about his evening rituals of soaking his feet in boiling water, he became worried as he could not feel the heat. It was at this point that confirmed he had contracted leprosy.

„« He was a roman Catholic missionary of the congregation of the sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary.

„« Father Damien was a spiritual leader/patron of lepers, outcasts, and those with HIV/AIDS within the catholic society.

„« In 1995 pope John Paul II beatified him and bestowed the official title of Blessed Damien Of Molokai ÐŽV servant of humanity.

„« On April 5, 1886, about four in the afternoon, Catherine De Veuster, DamienÐŽ¦s mother, bowed her head in the direction of the phot of her son and the Blessed Mother and died calmly and peacefully.

„« On December 20, 1999 Jorge Medina Cardinal Estevez, Perfect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, confirmed the November 1999 decision of the United States conference of Catholic Bishops to place Blessed Damien on the liturgical calendar with the rank of optional memorial. His official feast day is on may 10 each year.

„« The blessed Damien could now be canonized and receive the title of Saint Damien of Molokai.

„« Damien provide 25 years of service to the people of Hawaii.

„« He died at the age of 49 during holy week, on April 15, 1889, 16 years after his arrival to Molokai .

Summary on Father Damien of MolokaiÐŽ¦s Life

Who was Father Damien?

„« At the request of the Belgian government, his body was exhumed in 1936 and returned to his homeland where it is entombed in a shrine at Louvain.

„« Father Damien was one of two outstanding citizens of Hawaii recognized by the state legislate in 1965 to be worthy of commemoration in the national Statuary Hall in Washington, DC.

„« In 1989, Hawaii played a central role in commemorating the 100th anniversary of DamienÐŽ¦s death.

„« The Bishop, Louis Maigret, and Father Modests, the religious superior of the sacred Hearts Fathers, had selected Damien to begin the mission.

„« Damien the priest of Molokai soon became front page news.

„« Damien had selected the precise spot for his gave amid the two thousand lepers buried in Molokai cemetery. Coffin bearers laid him to rest under his pandanus tree. It was the same tree that had sheltered him the day he read those fateful words ÐŽ§you may stay as long as your devotion dictates ÐŽKЎЁ

„« When he first came to Kalawao, Damien was careful to take precautions against the disease, nevertheless, as he lived among his people he showed no fear of the disease or revulsion of his patients.

„« Damien dug graves, built coffins and said funeral masses.

„« It is estimated that he built more than 1,600 coffins during his years at Molokai

„« Damien never sought publicity

„« Damien served nine years on the big island of Hawaii, he was renowned for his enthusiasm and cheerfulness. He often helped people by farming and rasing livestock.

Summary on Father Damien of MolokaiÐŽ¦s Life

Describe the experiences of Lepers on Molokai

„« Native Hawaiians became afflicted by disease inadvertently introduced to the Hawaiian islands by foreign traders and sailors.

„« Thousands died of influenza, syphilis and other ailments which had never before affected Hawaiians.

„« King Kamehameha IV segregated the lepers of the kingdom and moved them to a settlement colony on the north side of the island of Molokai.

„« The royal board of health provided them with supplies and food but did not yet have the resources to offer proper healthcare.

„« There were six hundred lepers living at Kalaupapa.

„« These people were forced to fight each other to survive.

„« At kohala, the scourge of leprosy (HansenÐŽ¦s Disease) was keenly felt, claiming many of his parishioners who were sent to the newly- founded leper settlement on Molokai.

„« In 1865, a permanent quarantine area was established when the legislature passed the Act