St. Damien of Molokai

Patron Saint of People with Leprosy

Born in Belgium in 1840, Damien came to Hawaii in 1864 to finish his studies for the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and was ordained a priest. He spent a decade working on the Big Island. In 1873, it was decided to send a Catholic priest to the leper colony in Hawaii. Even though this mission posed a risk to his own health, Fr. Damien recognized the importance of this work, so he volunteered to go. After his initial work, he volunteered to remain permanently to care for the physical, medical, and spiritual needs of those suffering from leprosy. Fr. Damien eventually contracted leprosy himself and died in 1889 after working for 16 years in the leper colony.