Damien de Veuster SSCC - Leper Priest of Molokai (1840-89)

Fr. Damien, born 1840 in Tremeloo, Belgium. He joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts volunteering for the mission to the Hawaiian Islands. In 1873 he went to work as a priest in a leper colony on the island of Molokai. He died from leprosy in 1889 aged 49. The testimony of the life he lived among the lepers of Molokai led to an intensive study of Hansens disease, eventually leading to a cure. Pope John Paul II beatified Damien in 1995. He was named a saint on Oct 11th 2009.

Monday, May 14, 2012

St. Damien of Molokai – Activities for the Family

The Footsteps of the American Saints program is offered by the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, but it is open to everyone, Scouts and non-Scouts alike. This program provides age appropriate religious activities to help young people learn more about the lives of Blesseds and Saints from America.

One of the sets of activities revolves around St. Damien of Molokai. His feast day is May 10. He volunteered to serve at a leper colony on the island of Molokai in Hawaii in the late 19th century. Eventually he contracted leprosy and died from the disease. Fr. Damien was canonized in 2009.

As part of the Footsteps of the American Saints program, participants can earn a patch with Fr. Damien on it. (This image says “Blessed”. I don’t know if they have changed it since his canonization.)

There are a list of requirements and activities to earn the patch. Participants in 1st through 5th grades must complete 4 requirements and 2 of the activities. Participants in 6th through 12th Grades must complete 5 requirements and 3 of the activities. But even if you don’t want to earn the patch, you might still want to teach your children about St. Damien and do a few of the activities:

Requirements
•He took the name of a 4th century physician and Saint when he became a priest…Fr. Damien. What was his original name and why do we call him Saint Damien of Molokai?
•Before going to Hawaii, Saint Damien of Molokai worked as a missionary. What were the circumstances that allowed him to travel to Hawaii?
•When did he become a priest?
•Saint Damien of Molokai was given a memorial feast day by Pope John Paul II in 1995. When is that day celebrated?
•What is Saint Damien of Molokai most known for devoting his life to?
•King David Kalakaua bestowed what honor on Damien?

Activities
•Discuss with your family or counselor, some of the values that you admire most about Saint Damien of Molokai . What is he known for? How can you be more like him?
•Draw a picture showing some of his accomplishments. Share this picture with your family.
•Create a poster of hope and deliver it to a children hospital in your community.
•Visit with the sick or elderly. Spend time learning what they like. Possibly bring a kitten or puppy from the pound to visit with the elderly for a couple of hours.

As you can see, this program really encourages students to learn more about the saint. You can find additional resources and an order form for the patches at the National Catholic Committee on Scouting website: Footsteps of American Saints – Saint Damien of Molokai
Thanks to My Catholic Family at http://bit.ly/Jszlnt

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Statistics of Patients on Molokai 1866-1908

Fr. Damien - SSCC Missionary (Damien's Writings)

In 1990, Fr. Patrick Bradley ss.cc., the then Superior General of Damien's Congregation, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, wrote a circular letter to all the members of the Congregation entitled: "Fr. Damien - SS.CC. Missionary" with some perspectives on the future of mission. Fr. Bradley's circular gathers together many of Damien's writings, which provide valuable insights into Damien's own life, motivation and work as a missionary. Over the course of the coming weeks, I hope to reproduce this publication which you can read by clicking on the link below.

See document - click here >>>>>>

Did You Know?
Father Damien's life and death among his people at Kalaupapa focused the attention of the world on the problem of leprosy and the plight of its victims. After Damien's death in 1889, the people of England established a fund and a commission for the scientific investigation of the disease.
Mother Marianne Cope nursed those suffering from leprosy in Hawai'i for 35 years. She arrived at Kalaupapa in 1888. Her philosophy of personal dignity in the face of death came almost a century before its adoption as the foundation of the hospice movement.
Sea cliffs rise two thousand feet above the peninsula and ocean separate Kalaupapa from the rest of the island of Moloka'i. In 1972 this area was designated as the North Shore Cliffs National Natural Landmark, recognized as a significant example of sea cliffs in the nation's natural heritage.

Bl. Damien de Veuster

Feastday: May 10th.

The Leper Priest, the Hero of Molokai. Born in Tremelo, Belgium, on January 3, 1840, he joined the Sacred Hearts Fathers in 1860. He was bomn Joseph and received the name Damien in religious life. In 1864, he was sent to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was ordained. For the next nine years he worked in missions on the big island, Hawaii. In 1873, he went to the leper colony on Molokai, after volunteering for the assignment. Damien cared for lepers of all ages, but was particularly concerned about the children segregated in the colony. He announced he was a leper in 1885 and continued to build hospitals, clinics, and churches, and some six hundred coffins. He died on April 15, 1889 on Molokai. Slandered by a Protestant minister, Mr. Hyde, Damien was defended by Robert Louis Stevenson, who wrote an impassioned defense of Damien in 1905. He was declared venerable in 1977. Pope John Paul II declared him beatified on June 4, 1995.

Bibliography:

1. "Damien of Molokai." Anderson, Gerald H. Biographical Dictionary of Christian Missions. New York : Macmillan Reference USA; London : Simon & Schuster and Prentice Hall International, 1998.
2. Daniel-Rops, Henri. The Heroes of God. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1965, 1958.
3. Farrow, John. Damien the Leper. Garden City, New York: Image Books, 1954.
4. Stevenson, Robert Louis. In the South Seas. New York: Scribners, 1911.

Edward Clifford. Father Damien: A Journey from Cashmere to His Home in Hawaii. London and New York: Macmillan. 1889. 352pp.
Piers Compton. Father Damien. London: Alexander Ouseley. 1933. 196pp.
Gavan Daws. Holy Man: Father Damien of Molokai. New York: Harper & Row. 1973. 293pp.
Charles J. Dutton. The Samaritans of Molokai: The Lives of Father Damien and Brother Dutton Among the Lepers. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company. 1932. 286pp.
Omer Englebert. The Hero of Molokai: Father Damien, Apostle of the Lepers. St. Paul Editions. 1962. 364pp. Translation of Le pére Damien.
Hilde Eynikel. Molokai: The Story of Father Damien. Hodder & Stoughton. 2001. 324pp.
John Farrow. Damien: The Leper. Sheed & Ward. 1937. 230pp.
Vital Jourdan. The Heart of Father Damien, 1840-1889. Guild Press. 1960. 500pp. Translation of Le père Damien de Veuster, apôtre des lépreux.
Ann Roos. Man of Molokai: The Life of Father Damien. J. B. Lippincott. 1943. 254pp.
Philibert Tauvel. Father Damien: Apostle of the Lepers of Molokai, Priest of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts. Art and Book Co.. 1904. 206pp.