St. Damien de Veuster contracted leprosy while living and serving on the Pacific island of Molokai in the late 1800s. In the early 1800s, Hawaiian officials quarantined anyone with leprosy on Molokai, leaving them without support. When St. Damien heard of their situation, he asked to serve the isolated people on Molokai. He lived among and cared for them until his death from leprosy in 1889, bringing them dignity and the love of God.

1. 152400-301271St. Damien de Veuster00St. Damien de Veuster<br />342201586677500St. Damien died of leprosy in 1889. He contracted the disease while living on the Pacific island of Molokai. In the early 1800’s, in order to deal with the sever outbreak of leprosy on the Hawaiian islands, officials began to round up anyone suffering from leprosy and drop them off on the island of Molokai, leaving them to fend for themselves. Government doctors would visit but, afraid of contracting leprosy, they would examine the patients from a distance and leave medicine behind. The people living on the island had no real source of food, political organization, law or religion. They were left there to die. St. Damien, a priest serving in Hawaii, , heard about this island and asked to be allowed to serve there. In 1873, he moved to the island where he lived for the rest of his life. He organized funerals and burials, washed and bandaged people’s wounds, and with their help, he built a church, which he filled every Sunday. St. Damien brought the love of God to these people and helped them to die with dignity. In 1885, he contracted leprosy, but he continued to live with the people until his death in 1889. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995 and canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.<br />* * * * * * * *Father Damien once said: <br />“...I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ.”<br />What do you think he meant by this?<br />What does this mean for us?<br />