how did saint damien die
He was known to carry out his apostolic endeavors with a boundless energy, an iron resolve and a childlike enthusiasm. When Hawaii became a state of the United States of America in 1959, it chose Damien as one of its two representatives to be in the Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol. It was not long before Father Damien succumbed to the terrible scourge of leprosy. After joining the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in his native Tremeloo, Belgium, he prayed daily before an image of Saint Francis Xavier for this intention. During the remaining years of his life, he continued to work hard, but with much greater effort. The captain feared contagion and thus refused to let him board. Patron Saint of Hawaii and people with leprosy Short Biography Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai, SS.CC. Those who could not swim drowned in the turbulent Pacific Ocean. Besides taking care of his priestly responsibilities, he also found time to organize a choir that sang for masses held in Saint Philomena’s Church that he built. He was named Joseph by his parents, and at the young age of 20 years he entered the Sacred Heart fathers in 1860. He was buried under the same pandanus tree, outside Saint Philomena’s Church, under which he had slept upon his arrival to the peninsula. He was ordained into the priesthood on 21 May 1864, at what is now the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace. He taught them to farm, raise animals and assist in building everything from cottages to the coffins4 used in funerals held daily. People were amazed at the gentility with which he cared for the sick. 5. Queen Kapiolani and Crown Princess Liliuokalani at Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee. Joseph took the name Damien after one of the physician brothers Saints’ Cosmos and Damien, who were martyred in the early persecutions of the Church. http://www.fullbooks.com/Father-Damien.html. 14. Gavin Daws, Holy Man: Father Damien of Molokai (University of Hawaii Press, 1989), 83. The first lepers to arrive found dreadful living conditions. However, according to legend they stayed true to their faith, enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by beheading. Amid the generalized chaos of the inhabitants of Kalawao, there were a group of Catholic lepers who remained steadfast. Years later, that same captain converted to the Faith and admitted doing so because he was so touched by the scene. Losing all human joys, they feverishly grasped at those of the beasts and subsequently gave themselves over to a sinful life.1, Knighthood awarded to Father Damien by Princess Regent Liliuakolani, Those in Honolulu who were spared the disease grew increasingly indignant with the neglect of the lepers. This island, located just southeast of Oahu, became the final destination and burial place of over 8,000 Hawaiians diagnosed with the terrible disease. He will always be remembered as a man who went to the most beautiful place on earth in order to care for the most hideous of God’s creatures. A portrait of young Father Damien in 1868 with his handwriting. The bishop hopes that Damien’s sainthood will inspire others “to pursue holiness, be close to God and serve the most needy.” Although Catholics will honor Damien as a saint, Toguchi believes the beloved priest should be an inspiration to everyone, regardless of religious beliefs. This zealous priest also organized a band whose members played instruments he made by hand. The mere mention of Molokai was enough to send shivers up the spine of nineteenth century Hawaiians. In so doing, he became a hero who died on the battlefield of honor. St. Damien was beatified in 1995, and canonized in 2009. What troubled him most, however, was not the leprosy of the body, but rather what he called “leprosy of the soul.” As a true missionary, his primary concern was the spiritual well-being of his parishioners that gave him the wisdom to instruct each according to their needs. The bishop hopes that Damien’s sainthood will inspire others “to pursue holiness, be close to God and serve the most needy.” Although Catholics will honor Damien as a saint, Toguchi believes the beloved priest should be an inspiration to everyone, regardless of religious beliefs. Amid the generalized chaos of the inhabitants of Kalawao, there were a group of Catholic lepers who remained steadfast. Besides making their coffins, Father Damien also assisted in digging their graves. “In one place I speak only gentle, consoling words,” he explained, “in another I have to be harsh, to stir the conscience of some sinner; at times I have to thunder and threaten unrepentant sinners with eternal punishment.”8. At the age of 20, he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary order, taking the religious name Damien. This, along with their breath, which Father Damien said would “poison the air,” caused him an almost “unconquerable nausea” and “headaches that lasted for days.” It is for this reason that he took up smoking6 to combat the stench surrounding the sick and dying when he administered their sacraments. Father Damien was not simply a humanitarian. Shortly before his death, he wrote his brother Pamphile, "I am gently going to my grave. St. Damien of Molokai’s feast day is May 10 th. It is a lost battle, and lost forever. Father Limburg continued, You should have seen the wild activity he was directing, giving his orders, now to the masons, now the carpenters, now to the laborers, all lepers. When he caught them unaware he entered the spiritual “battlefield” swinging his cane, breaking cups, smashing gourds and bruising flesh. The next day, after Mass said by Father Moellers at St. After Damien's beatification in June 1995, the remains of his right hand were returned to Hawaii and re-interred in his original grave on Molokaʻi. After over a decade of service on Molokai, Saint Damien himself contracted leprosy and died after serving 25 years as a missionary to the Hawaiian Islands. He served there until he died -of leprosy- in 1889. This was confirmed in 1884 when he was soaking his feet in scalding hot water without feeling any pain. In 1860, he became Brother Damien in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and started his studies to become a priest. He helped build new houses, a new church, school and or-phanage in the leper colony in Hawaii. He died April 15, 1889 at the age of 49. A portrait of young Father Damien in 1868 with his handwriting. He made it crystal clear that his love for them was not of the sentimental type so common in the modern world. “When we sit and grow bulky in our charming mansions,” Mr. Stevenson said, “and a plain, uncouth peasant steps into the battle, under the eyes of God, and succors the afflicted, and consoles the dying, and is himself afflicted in his turn, and dies upon the field of honor — the battle cannot be retrieved as your unhappy irritation has suggested. Now imagine volunteering to live among them, and eventually, to die as one of them. The first lepers to arrive found dreadful living conditions. The story of Saint Damien is a great reminder that we should always treat others with respect and dignity—as members of our human family—no matter what their outward appearance, age, or ability. On 19 March 1864, Damien arrived at Honolulu Harbor on Oahu. Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai (3 January 1840 – 15 April 1889), was member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. “If a noble Christian priest, preacher or sister should be inspired to go and sacrifice a life to console these poor wretches,” it read, “that would be a royal soul to shine forever on the throne reared by human love.”2, On May 4, 1873, Bishop Louis Maigret, the vicar apostolic, realizing the lepers needed stable spiritual support, asked for a volunteer among four Sacred Hearts Fathers, for the Molokai mission. Two weeks after his arrival, he wrote in his diary how all his “repugnance toward the lepers has disappeared.”7. http://www.fullbooks.com/Father-Damien.html. Thanks to Mr. Stevenson and devout Catholics the world over, Saint Damien will never be forgotten. Father Damien was canonized on October 11, 2009. Damien died on the island of Molokai at the age of 49, surrounded by those he loved the most: the lepers. All rights reserved. In so doing, he became a hero who died on the battlefield of honor. During this time he slept under a pandanus tree, which grows on rocky soil and attracts scorpions and other undesirable creatures. In hopes of making a confession, Father Damien took a small boat out to meet the vessel. His feast day is 21 February. Vital Jourdain, SS.CC., The Heart of Father Damien, 1840 – 1889 (Milwaukee: The Bruce Publishing Company, 1955), 142. Saint Damien is best known for his help in teaching others about leprosy and helping those suffering with the disease. Father Damien with the leprosy in already a far advanced stage. The Coronavirus Is a Call to Return to G... TFP Rosary Campaign to Restore America Blog, Saint Damien: A Hero Who Died on the Battlefield of Honor, “Remember that I was covered with a funeral pall the day of my religious profession,” he said, “here I am, Bishop, ready to bury myself alive with those poor unfortunates.”, “In one place I speak only gentle, consoling words. Father Damien’s work was continued by Sister Marianne Cope and the Sisters of Saint Francis who joined his ministry one year before his death, cared for him during his final illness, and continued his work well into the twentieth century. Shortly before his death, he wrote his brother Pamphile, "I am gently going to my grave. After receiving Holy Communion “like a seraph”12 on the morning of April 14, he died the following day, “like a child going to sleep.”13. What does Damian mean in Latin? Treated like animals, they quickly began to act like animals. He then paid to have it published in an English newspaper before it spread throughout the entire world. Pope Benedict XVI canonized Damien on October 11, 2009. A portrait of young Father Damien in 1868. He spent the first weeks at Kalawao building proper housing for the homeless. He taught how to farm and raise animals, and organized a choir for Mass, and a band whose members played instruments he made by hand. Father Damien was chosen and accepted what was virtually a death sentence with joy and resignation. His primary concern for those of the colony, like the Kalawao Girls Choir shown here, was their spiritual well being. Among Saint Damien’s biggest admirers were the last two queens of Hawaii, Esther Kapiolani and Lydia Liluakolani. Peter Damian (Latin: Petrus Damianus; Italian: Pietro or Pier Damiani; c. 1007 – 21 or 22 February 1072 or 1073) was a reforming Benedictine monk and cardinal in the circle of Pope Leo IX. Leadership, After receiving Holy Communion “like a seraph”12 on the morning of April 14, he died the following day, “like a child going to sleep.”13. Ibid., 93. He taught how to farm and raise animals, and organized a choir for Mass, and a band whose members played instruments he made by hand. Nobility, Growing up on the farm, Jozef was prepared to take over for his family, but he did not want the responsibility. The dancing and drinking invariably degenerated into sordid acts of debauchery that often included children. Stories such as these might lead some to consider Father Damien a humanitarian whose only desire was to alleviate physical suffering. Despite his frail health, Father Damien organized a crew to replace it. In striking contrast to the Revolutionary way monarchs are historically portrayed, these great ladies visited the colony several times and were received by the lepers like the mothers they were. On October 11, 2009, Father Damien was canonized (i.e., elevated to sainthood) by Pope Benedict XVI in a ceremony at the Vatican, thus becoming Saint Damien. On October 11, 2009, he was canonized a saint by the Catholic Church and will be remembered throughout history as … When Bishop Maigret and Father Damien arrived on May 10, 1873,3 they were met by this group who had rosaries dangling from their necks. His good deeds were the most varied imaginable. The five-minute walk to the hospital for a man who used to enjoy perfect health now caused him so much pain and fatigue that he would cry all night.10 Yet he never quit. This suffering was mild compared to the spiritual hardships he would endure. Damien died of leprosy at 8:00 a.m. on 15 April 1889, aged 49. He was named Joseph by his parents, and at the young age of 20 years he entered the Sacred Heart fathers in 1860. He pleaded for a confessor but often went as long as five months without seeing another priest. While this idyllic paradise may be the destination spot for tourists and honeymooners, Joseph de Veuster was eager to go there for a completely different reason. Saint Damien of Molokai was born in Tremelo, Belgium, in the year 1840. On May 4, 1873, Bishop Louis Maigret, the vicar apostolic, realizing the lepers needed stable spiritual support, asked for a volunteer among four Sacred Hearts Fathers, for the Molokai mission. Ibid., 199. To achieved sainthood, there must be at least two miracles attributed to the saint's intercession, among other requirements. “In one place I speak only gentle, consoling words,” he explained, “in another I have to be harsh, to stir the conscience of some sinner; at times I have to thunder and threaten unrepentant sinners with eternal punishment.”8. Anthimus, Leontius and Euprepius, their younger brothers, who were insepar… Saint Peter Damian, Italian San Pier Damiani, (born 1007, Ravenna [Italy]—died February 22, 1072, Faenza; feast day February 21), cardinal and Doctor of the Church, an original leader and a forceful figure in the Gregorian Reform movement, whose personal example and many writings exercised great influence on religious life in the 11th and 12th centuries. or Saint Damien de Veuster (Dutch: Pater Damiaan or Heilige Damiaan van Molokai; January 3, 1840 – April 15, 1889), born Jozef De Veuster, was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary religious institute. At age 19, he entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary at Leuven. Born Joseph de Veuster in Tremelo, Belgium, he took the religious name of Damien when he joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. April 15, 1889. An aerial view of the village of Kalaupapa located on the northern peninsula of Molokai. Father Damien was a Belgian Catholic priest who went to the Hawaiian island of Molokai to minister to the patients of the leper colony in 1873. On April 15, 1889, Father Damien died of leprosy at the age of forty-nine. By the time he died at the age of 49, people all over the world knew about this disease because of him. He did not die in vain. His feast day is May 10. He made it crystal clear that his love for them was not of the sentimental type so common in the modern world. In it, he points out the battlefield upon which Saint Damien gave his life and eloquently contrasted it with the comfortable life chosen by the Reverend Hyde. Father Damien possessed herculean strength and refused to let these trials depress him. Besides taking care of his priestly responsibilities, he also found time to organize a choir that sang for masses held in Saint Philomena’s Church that he built. This suffering was mild compared to the spiritual hardships he would endure. ... May 10 is his feast day even though Damien died on April 15, 1889. 7. She was beatified on May 14, 2005. The feast day assigned to Saint Damien. Chivalry, St. Peter Damian fought simony with great vigor, and equally vigorously upheld clerical celibacy; and as he supported a severely ascetical, semi-eremitical life for monks, so he was an encourager of common life for the secular clergy. Dante placed him in one of the highest circles of Paradiso as a great predecessor of Saint Francis of Assisi and he was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1828. Father Damien shortly after his death on April 15, 1889. There was very little food and shelter, inadequate medicine and absolutely no hope. Jozef de Veuster was born in Belgium on January 3, 1840. Normally a saint’s feast day is the day of his death. People all over the world were sad at this news and remembered him. Father Damien was chosen and accepted what was virtually a death sentence with joy and resignation. In 1888, a terrible storm passed through Kalawao and destroyed the steeple atop Saint Philomena’s Church. 8. When did Saint Damien die? On this day, wreaths are laid at his statue… On one occasion, a supply ship with a priest on board stopped offshore. Fr. One witness said he saw Father Damien “bandage the most frightful wounds as though he were handling flowers.”5 On other occasions, he was even forced to amputate rotting limbs that emitted a foul odor. Witnessing such foolish paganism, Father Damien stopped the man long enough to give him a short sermon on hell9 as the two of them contemplated the molten lava that danced before their eyes. and St. Damien of Molokai (January 3, 1840 - April 15, 1889), was a missionary of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of … An aerial view of the village of Kalaupapa located on the northern peninsula of Molokai. Seeing no other option than quarantine, the Hawaiian Legislature and King Kamehameha V signed a decree banishing the lepers to a neighboring island. Father Damien sensed from early on, in his vocation, that he was not called to a common missionary life. They were sent there to die and they knew it. This, along with their breath, which Father Damien said would “poison the air,” caused him an almost “unconquerable nausea” and “headaches that lasted for days.” It is for this reason that he took up smoking6 to combat the stench surrounding the sick and dying when he administered their sacraments.