Italian Association Amici di Raoul Follereau (AIFO)

Contact

General

Project Support

Alliances & Links

Resources & Training

A Patron Saint for Human Rights
CANONIZATION OF FATHER DAMIEN
Life of the Saint

Events Programme

Fr Damien

Leprosy

Resolution Documents

General

Fr Damien was born as Joseph De Veuester on 3 January 1840 in the village of Tremelo in Belgium. Seventh out of eight children,he decided to devote himself to religious life like two of his sisters and like his brother Auguste, who was three years older to Joseph.

On 2 February 1959 joined the congregation of Sacred Hearts fathers in the city of Louvain, and took the name of Damien. In 1863, Fr Damien's elder brother August was supposed to leave for Hawai, but he fell sick. Fr Damien asked to substitute his brother. Thus in 1963, he arrived in Honolulu. He was ordained as a priest in Honolulu on 21 March 1865. For nine years he traveled and worked in different islands of Hawai.

Leprosy had arrived in Hawai 20 years earlier through Chinese emigrants and had rapidly spread through the different islands. King of Hawai decided to collect all the persons affected with leprosy and to send them to the island of Molokai.

In 1873, Fr Damien had gone to the island of Maui, where the Bishop told him about the inhuman living conditions of Molokai. That day, 33 year old Fr Damien decided that he would go and live in Molokai. He lived there for sixteen years, till his death consumed by leprosy.

• An online exhibition about the life of Fr Damien (opens in a new window)

• A brief walk in the history to remember the important steps in the canonization of Fr Damien - from the AIFO archives

• Excerpts from "Fr Damien ... A Bit of Taro, A Piece of Fish, and A Glass of Water" by Anwei and Henry Law (2009). This book presents a new perspective of Father Damien by bringing out for the first time the voices of the people who had leprosy, who knew and worked alongside Father Damien at the Kalaupapa Settlement on Molokai.  It also discusses his early efforts to ensure the rights of every individual in the context of current discussions on leprosy and human rights. (Under preparation)

• Messages from around the world: do you know of any church or hospital or centre or services named after Fr Damien? Are you planning any special events for canonization of Fr Damien? Write to us and tell the world about it - send by email to <sunil.deepak (at) aifo.it>