Saint Damien of Molokai, patron of people with Hansen’s Disease (Leprosy)

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In this Sunday’s Gospel reading (Oct. 13, 2019), Jesus is met by a group of ten lepers, and he heals them of their leprosy. By coincidence, ten years ago today (Oct. 11, 2009), Saint Damien of Molokai was canonized.

Father Damien devoted his life to missionary service among the lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. The article linked below describes his humble and personal manner, some of the works of mercy he performed, and the uplifting effect it had on the community of lepers. Fr. Damien eventually contracted leprosy, and continued to serve and live among the lepers until his death.


Also below is short biography posted by Rob2 on May 10, the Feast Day of Saint Damien of Molokai.
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Devoted to the care of lepers , he contracted leprosy himself Spirituality
Saint Damien of Molokai Celebrated on May 10th [image] Born in Tremelo, Belgium, in 1840, Joseph de Veuster, left school at 13 to help on the family farm. He entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary six years later, taking the name of a fourth-century physician and martyr. When his brother Pamphile, a priest in the same congregation, fell ill and was unable to go to the Hawaiian Islands as assigned, Damien quickly volunteered in his place. In May 1864, two months after…
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Thank you for posting it. I love love love him!!! It is one of my favorite saints. Saint Damien de Molokai pray for us (and for some friends you know well…). 💖
 
What an amazing saint. I read his life in the link you gave. St. Damien please pray for us.
 
I saw a movie about him on youtube he was a great priest. He sure had a tough time getting someone to come and give him confession as no one wanted to come to the island at one point, if I remember he had it once on a little boat which he rowed up to a ship, I can’t recall if the other priest/bishop etc came down to him or not but still… I remember thinking that’s humility cos obviously everyone on the ship could hear, but he wasn’t deterred.
 
BTW, people with Hansen’s Disease would rather be referred to as just that, so “St Damien of Molokai, patron of people with Hansen’s Disease”.

St Damien is one of my chosen patrons.
 
Thank you for that gentle admonishment. I had a feeling that it was insensitive to refer to them as lepers.
 
My husband and i recently came across a movie on St. Damien on amazon prime. It was fabulous! I highly recommend it!
 
Hansen’s disease is mostly eradicated from the world, I think. St Damien, pray for us!
 
Bluebright said:
I saw a movie about him on youtube he was a great priest. He sure had a tough time getting someone to come and give him confession as no one wanted to come to the island at one point, if I remember he had it once on a little boat which he rowed up to a ship, I can’t recall if the other priest/bishop etc came down to him or not but still… I remember thinking that’s humility cos obviously everyone on the ship could hear, but he wasn’t deterred.
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From memory, because the lepers on Molokai were quarantined the Bishop couldn’t actually set foot on the island. And fortunately the Bishop and St Damian both spoke French which most if not all of the bystanders didn’t, so that afforded some privacy for him.
 
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