Friday, May 10, 2013

Damien of Molokai


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http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=2817

Hello Friends,
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Damien the Leper. He was born Jozef ("Jef") De Veuster in Belgium, and was later ordained priest in Honolulu, Oahu for missionary work there. He volunteered to aid the leper colony on Molokai, immediately building the church of St. Philomena. He also built homes for the lepers, dug graves for those who had died, and nursed the sick tending to their ulcerous wounds. His presence was a turning point in the lives of the demoralized colonists.
In the course of his sixteen years of labor Damien too contracted Hansen's disease (leprosy), dying a "martyr of charity" among his parishioners.  Father Damien was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday October 11, 2009. 
You can find his full story, along with photos, at the above link. You will also find his life story and photos on Wikipedia. 
For those who wish to help people who continue to suffer from Hansen's Disease, the following link offers opportunities.  
http://www.damientheleper.org/


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