a i k i? s o o l S h t o . Da W M f o mie n
Color me! Joseph de Veuster was born on Jan. 3,
those with this sickness, moving them to
1840, in Belgium. When his oldest brother
a remote area, Kalaupapa, on Molokai
entered religious life, their father planned
Island, which was surrounded by ocean
for Joseph to run the family business in
on three sides and a very tall cliff on the
his brother’s place; however, Joseph also
fourth. Abandoned, the people begged
desired to enter religious life! At age 19,
for spiritual guidance, so in 1873 Damien
he entered the novitiate and took the name
became the first priest to minister to them in
Damien.
person, and other priests followed.
Five years later, his brother was supposed
He did much to bring order to the chaos and
to travel to Hawaii for mission work but
restore hope in the people who suffered
became sick. This time Damien took his
physically, mentally and spiritually. Damien
brother’s place, arriving in Honolulu on
chose to remain permanently. In 1885 he
March 19, 1864. He was ordained a priest
contracted the disease himself and died
just two months later.
four years later, after 16 years of caring for
At that time, the Hawaiian government tried to stop leprosy’s spread by quarantining
the bodies and souls of those affected by leprosy.
Feast Day: May 10 3 2 |THE CATHOLIC TELE G RAPH
