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Blessed Damien de Veuster, also known as the leper priest, was born in Belguim in 1840. He was ordained a priest in 1864 shortly after he arrived in the Hawaiian Islands as a missionary. On the island of Molokai there was a leper settlement where the Government kept segregated all persons afflicted with the disease. The board of health supplied the lepers with food and clothing, but was unable to provide them with either resident physicians or nurses. On May 10, 1873, Father Damien, at his own request, arrived at the settlement as its resident priest. There were there, at the time, 600 lepers and no helpers.
For a long time Father Damien was the only one to bring comfort to these poor individuals. He was a source of the grace of God as he administered the sacraments and brought peace and order to the desperation and chaos that was ramped in the settlement. He also provided them as much medical care and bodily comforts as he was able. He dressed their wounds, helped them build shelter, and even dug their graves and made their coffins. After twelve years of this incredibly heroic service he himself noticed the first symptoms of the disease. The year was 1885. Undaunted he continued to pour out his heart and services for these poor souls. Towards the end of his life he finally realized the assistance that he had prayed and asked for, for years. Nuns, a lay brother and a priest arrived on the island followed by others. They would carry on Father Damien’s work into the present day. Father Damien passed away April 15th 1889. He was beatified in 1995 by Pope John Paul II. It has recently been reported by the Vatican that he will be canonized probably sometime in 2009.
Damien's life was suffused with horror, yet he refused to be broken by it and refused to permit his little flock to be swept into despair. He ran foot races for the sports-loving lepers, even though some of them had no feet. He formed a band, even though some had few fingers to play the instruments. One witness reported two organists who played at the same time, managing ten fingers between them. He saw Christ in these poor, rejected people. He responded to the tragedy of this horrid sickness with heroic love.
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