Father Damien gave his life to help Hansen's disease patients who were forced into isolation at Kalawao and later Kalaupapa, on Maoloka'i. - Photo: Guava graphics

St. Damien's day approaches

Sainthood for Father Damien will draw
Kalaupapa residents to Rome

By Liza Simon / Ka Wai Ola

A small group of Kalaupapa residents will be at the Vatican when Father Damien de Veuster is elevated to sainthood on Oct. 11. "It's going to be history made there, but for me personally it means something special, because I'm always praying to Father Damien," said "Boogie" Kahilihiwa, a resident of the Kalaupapa settlement since 1959 and one of the last people to be sent there under a forced isolation policy for Hansen's disease patients.

A Belgian missionary priest, Father Damien came to Moloka'i in 1873 and devoted his life to ministering to patients of Hansen's disease – which was then known as leprosy – before the same disease claimed his life in 1889.

The Feb. 21 announcement from the Roman Catholic Church that Damien would be canonized was received with elation on Moloka'i. "Truthfully, we expected it. Deep down in our heart, we had no doubt – he was a saint," said Kahilihiwa, adding that many of buildings Damien erected during his ministry in Kalaupapa are still in use – something he calls a testament to the priest's commitment and energy. "He walked the land here. He was one of us," noted Kahilihiwa.

Father Damien in his youth. - Photo: Courtesy of nps.gov

Dr. Kalani Brady, who delivers healthcare services to the approximately 20 remaining and mostly elderly residents of the Kalaupapa settlement, said Father Damien's legacy still touches humanity more than a century after his death. "Father Damien remains a very powerful figure on Moloka'i, because of the way he lifted despair," said Brady, who will be accompanying the Kalaupapa group on their trip to Rome. "When he arrived on Moloka'i, he found Hansen's disease patients who felt forsaken by God, because they had been imprisoned for no reason other than the disease that had wracked their bodies. He protected them and gave them hope. I consider that the first miracle occurred when he developed the disease and truly became one of them. To this day, he is worshipped in the Eucharist in Moloka'i Sunday morning masses."

Father Damien's adoption of Hawaiian ways has been well documented over the years. He spoke the Hawaiian language in the Kalaupapa settlement, which was largely comprised of Kānaka Maoli, who were vulnerable to diseases of Westerners to which they had no natural immunity. The State of Hawai'i lifted its policy of isolating on Hansen's disease patients in 1969. By then, drugs to effectively treat the disease were in use.

Kahilihiwa estimates that ten of his fellow Kalaupapa residents have made travel arrangements to visit Rome for the Oct. 11 canonization. He said the group has hopes of telling Damien's story to the pontiff, though they have gotten word that Vatican protocol may not permit this.

'Boogie' Kahilihiwa, a former Hansen's disease patient who still lives in Kalaupapa, is planning to travel to Rome for the Oct. 11 canonization of Father Damien, who tended to the outcast patients on the Moloka'i settlement for 16 years before he succumbed to the disease in 1889. - Photo: Blaine Fergerstrom

Also on the Kalaupapa European itinerary is a visit to Father Damien's hometown of Tremeloo, Belgium. In recent years, several of Damien's descendants have made a pilgrimage to Kalaupapa, where they were given an aloha-filled welcome by residents. Kahilihiwa jokes that he and his fellow travelers look forward to sampling some of Belguim's famous chocolate candies, though sharing Damien's legacy with his heirs will be one highlight that's hard to beat.

Kahilihiwa and many of his Kalaupapa neighbors and community supporters belong to a Hansen's disease advocacy group, which has also been active in the effort to have sainthood conferred on Damien – a process was started more than five decades ago.

When canonization day arrives, a good place to be is in Kalaupapa, said Valerie Monson, a Maui resident who said she has so admired the spirit of the settlement residents that she became a member of the advocacy group known as Ka 'Ohana o Kalaupapa. "These people are true heroes. They gave up everything to be here. Many felt the best way to help their families was to follow the isolation orders," said Monson, adding that Father Damien, noted for his humility, would agree that a tribute should go to the people of Kalaupapa settlement.