Born Jozef De Veuster in Belgium in 1840, he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and took the religious name Damien, volunteering for missionary work in the Kingdom of Hawaii. In 1873, he asked to be sent to the isolated settlement of Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai, where those suffering from leprosy (Hansen's disease) were forcibly quarantined by the government, often in dire, neglected conditions.
Damien built homes, a water system, and a church, and personally cared for the physical and spiritual needs of the patients, treating wounds and building coffins, at a time when most people avoided any contact with the colony out of fear of contagion. After eleven years of service, he contracted leprosy himself and continued his work until his death in 1889, having chosen to remain permanently among the community rather than leave when the disease was diagnosed.
Saint Damien of Molokai
Apostle to the Lepers
A Belgian priest who volunteered to serve an isolated leper colony in Hawaii, eventually contracting the disease himself and dying among those he served.
- Born
- 1840
- Died
- 1889
- Birthplace
- Tremelo, Belgium
- Died in
- Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hawaii
- Country
- Belgium
- Canonised
- 2009-10-11
- Century
- 19th century
- Invoked for
- Leprosy
Categories
Why People Pray to Saint Damien of Molokai
Saint Damien is invoked by those with leprosy and other stigmatized illnesses, and by healthcare workers and volunteers serving the isolated and forgotten.
