Kalaupapa Welcomes Saint Damien Relic
The pilgrimage for Hawaii's first Saint has officially come to an end where it all began. 11/7/09
Kalaupapa - A Story to Tell
2000. Kalaupapa, Hawaii is one of those rare places where the history that began in the 1860's is still alive today. Located on the rugged shore of Molokai, Kalaupapa was chosen as the inescapable place to isolate Hawaiians who had contracted Hansen's Disease, better known as leprosy. Some 50 people who had contracted the disease have chosen to live out their lives here. They provide a link between the past and the present and can best tell the story of Kalaupapa. A central part of that story has been Paschoal Hall. Built in 1916, Paschoal Hall is the largest structure in the community. Until the early 1960's it was the center of social gatherings. Because of its special meaning to residents, Paschoal Hall was chosen for a major historic preservation project. Leading the project was Bernie Weisgerber, a Forest Service Historic Preservation Specialist. This program highlights the efforts to restore Paschoal Hall and presents the historic preservation challenges that remain. Now and in the future, these structures will play a vital part in telling the story of Kalaupapa.
Mule Ride to Kalaupapa Leper Colony, Molokai
You may already know the story of Father Damien's 19th century leper colony at Kalaupapa on Molokai.
The small isolated peninsula is today a National Historical Park and is still home to a small number of residents, now cured of what we today call Hansen's Disease.
Visitors can tour Kalaupapa thanks to mule skinner Buzzy Sproat and his sure-footed horse/donkey hybrids.
After Buzzy matches you up to the mule that he feels most looks like you, it's off to the trail.
After your first glimpse of Kalaupapa, it soon sinks in that the 3 mile cliff-side trail--with an elevation drop of 1664 feet and 26 switchbacks--is not for the faint hearted.
Though not a challenge for the mules, the switchbacks will have you holding tight to your saddle--unless of course you're Buzzy.
It doesn't take long to get over your initial nerves and you soon realize that, just like the mules, you can take the descent in your stride.
Of course, that doesn't mean you're not happy when you finally reach the bottom.
The sound of the ocean and the stunning shoreline are welcomed. And, as you make your way to Kalaupapa, a sign reminds you that you are entering Kalawao County - the smallest in the US!
After you dismount your trusty steed, it's time to take in the stunning views...and perhaps shake off some of the stress from the ride down.
An old school bus ensures that visitors don't wonder off on their own and serves as transport for the scenic tour of what will one day become a national park.
While there are plenty of opportunities to learn about Kalaupapa--and take some photos--it's the short drive out to Kalawao that brings the story of Father Damien to life.
St. Philomena Church is the last structure in Kalawao that bears witness to Father Damien's work with the original leper colony. The church interior includes holes in the floor that allowed those with leprosy to expectorate. As Buzzy explains...
Two islets mark where ships used to throw exiled patients into the raging water...too scared to bring them ashore to the colony.
As you make your way back up the trail, you realize that you only thought you knew the story of Father Damien.
Read our full write up on our visit:
The Harrowing True Story of the Exiles of Molokai: History of America’s Only Leper Colony (2006)
Molokaʻi or Molokai (/ˈmɒləkaɪ/; Hawaiian: [ˈmoloˈkɐʔi]), often called the Friendly Island, is an island in the Hawaiian archipelago. About the book:
It is 38 by 10 miles (61 by 16 km) in size at its extreme length and width with a usable land area of 260 square miles (673.40 km2), making it the fifth-largest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the 27th largest island in the United States.[2] It lies east of Oʻahu across the 25-mile (40 km) wide Kaiwi Channel and north of Lānaʻi, separated from it by the Kalohi Channel.
The island has been known both for developments by Molokai Ranch on much of the island, for pineapple production, cattle ranching and tourism. Residents or visitors to the west end of Molokaʻi can see the lights of Honolulu on O'ahu at night; they can view nearby Lānaʻi and Maui from anywhere along the south shore of the island. In Kalawao County, on the Kalaupapa Peninsula on the north coast, settlements were established in 1866 for quarantined treatment of persons with leprosy; these operated until 1969. The Kalaupapa National Historical Park now preserves this entire county and area.
Beginning in 1897 much of the western end of the island was purchased from Hawaiians by Molokai Ranch to operate a cattle ranch. From 1923 to 1985, they leased thousands of acres of their land to pineapple producers, and the pineapple industry thrived on the island, continuing to attract Japanese and Filipino immigrants as low-paid laborers. Since the late 20th century, the pineapple industry has suffered across Hawaii.
Over the years the Ranch company has also acted as a developer, establishing hotels and related amenities for resort tourists on their property. In 2007 community residents organized in the Save La'au Point movement to oppose Molokai Ranch's attempt to expand its resort operation.[15] As a result, on March 24, 2008, Molokai Ranch, then the island's largest employer, decided to shut down all resort operations, including hotels, movie theater, restaurants, and golf course, and dismiss 120 workers.[16]
Because of its rural, agricultural nature, Molokaʻi has Hawaiʻi's highest unemployment rate. One-third of its residents use food stamps.[17] As of 2014, the largest industry on the island is seed production for Monsanto and Mycogen seeds, including GMO seeds.
Notable people:
Mother Marianne Cope, 19th-century nun and saint
Father Damien de Veuster, 19th-century Catholic priest and saint
Joseph Dutton, Catholic missionary who worked with Father Damien
Harvey Rexford Hitchcock, Protestant missionary
Peter Johnson Gulick, Protestant missionary
Linda Lingle, 6th Governor of Hawaii
William Ragsdale, popular Hawaiian attorney and politician, who served as superintendent at Kalaupapa for four years (1874-1878)[29]
Scott D. Whiting, President and CEO of Molokai Ranch
Rudolph Wilhelm Meyer, politician and agricultural businessman in Hawaii
Lois-Ann Yamanaka, poet and novelist
Harvey Rexford Hitchcock, Jr., 1913 College Football All-America Team
Melveen Leed, singer
Keith Luuloa, professional baseball player (Anaheim Angels)
Image By Travis.Thurston (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 ( via Wikimedia Commons
St. Damien - Hawaii Catholics celebrate new saint
Audrey Toguchi prayed faithfully.
Saint Damien Relic at the Hawaii State Capitol
The second relic of Saint Damien stops in front of the Hawaii State Capitol, where the Damien statue is located. Video taken by HAWAII Magazine's Associate Editor Sherie Char.
Our Lady of Peace Cathedral in Honolulu
Quite a beautiful church and very historic. It's the oldest Catholic church (in continuous use) in the United States. Dedicated in 1843, Father Damian (Saint) of Molokai was ordained to the preisthood here in 1864. The video was shot during the Midnight Mass Closing Hymn, which was played on a 1934 Aeolian-Skinner Pipe Organ. December 24th, 2008
Molokai Mule Ride
If you find yourself on Moloka‘i, Hawaii, then a mule ride on the famed trail to Kalaupapa is almost a necessity. The ocean views are amazing along the switchback-filled trail that decends the sea cliffs towards Kalaupapa. Guided Molokai Mule Ride excursions are the only way to experience Kalaupapa, grave site of Father Damien, the heroic Belgium Priest who loved and served this colony of outcasts. You can also visit St. Philomena Church, where Damien preached to his banished parishioners.
Lead Me Lord - Father Damien Pilgrimage 2009 (HD)
Father Damien Molokai Pilgrimage 2009 in Kalaupapa in Molokai, Hawaii. April 27, 2009.
Father Damien
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Father Damien
Blessed Damien was a Roman Catholic missionary who helped lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.
Born January 3, 1840(1840-01-03), Tremelo, Belgium
Died April 15, 1889 (aged 49), Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hawaii
Damien de Veuster, SS.CC. (January 3, 1840 April 15, 1889), born Jozef de Veuster and also known as Blessed Damien of Molokai (Dutch: Pater Damiaan or Zalige Damiaan de Veuster), was a Roman Catholic priest from Belgium and member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary,[1] a missionary religious order. He is to become a saint. He won recognition for his ministry to people with leprosy (also known as Hansen's Disease), who had been placed under a government-sanctioned medical quarantine on the island of Molokai in the Kingdom of Hawaii.[2] He eventually contracted and died of the disease, and is widely considered a martyr of charity.
In the Roman Catholic and Anglican communions, as well as other denominations of Christianity, Damien is considered the spiritual patron for Hansen's Disease, HIV and AIDS patients, and outcasts. As the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu and of Hawaii, Father Damien Day is celebrated statewide on April 15. Upon his beatification by Pope John Paul II in Rome on June 4, 1995, Blessed Damien was granted a memorial feast day, which is celebrated on May 10. On February 21, 2009, the Vatican announced that Father Damien would be canonized on October 11, 2009 completing the process of canonization.[3] The Catholic Encyclopedia calls him the Apostle of the Lepers,[4] and elsewhere he is known as the leper priest.
Several memorials have been made to Damien worldwide, from Belgium and the United States to Ireland and Ecuador. The Father Damien Statue honors the priest in bronze in Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol, while a full size replica stands in front of the Hawaii State Capitol. In 2005, Damien was honored with the title of De Grootste Belg, chosen as The Greatest Belgian throughout that country's history in polling conducted by the Flemish public broadcasting service, VRT.[5]
In both ecumenical religious and non-sectarian communities, Damien is being adopted as the symbol of how society should treat HIV/AIDS patients in defiance of the misconceptions of the disease, much like leprosy treatment was an outgrowth of misconceptions and poor treatment of lepers. Several Damien Centers have been established worldwide to serve people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
Kalaupapa 2013
A short video of some of my experiences in Kalaupapa. It's the part of Hawaii that is free from development, high rises, traffic, and the business of life.
Hiking Down the Kalaupapa Trail
Leprosy | Forced Isolation | Kalaupapa National Historical Park
This National Park unit in Hawaii on Molokai preserves site and history of a former leprosy colony that opened here about 1866. Leper colony location chosen due to inaccessibility --- it is surrounded by nearly impassable cliffs. Half the fun is getting here either by cliff mule ride or airplane. There is also evidence of ancient and hisitoric occupation as well as spectacular sea cliffs, narrow valleys, a volcanie crater, a rain forest, lava tubes, caves and offshore islands.
Music pieces Porch Swing Days - slower and Angel Share
by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
Now in the final year of a 5 year journey to experience all 417 National Parks Units in the United States and it's territories. Few have attempted it and even fewer have accomplished it! Come along for the ride and find your parks.
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View of the St. Damien Shrine at the Cathedral
This short video clip was taken on Friday, October 30, 2009, two days before the relic of St. Damien is to be placed into this newly crafted shrine at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Interview former Legislator Dennis Arakaki Kalihi Union Church
The Saint Damien Scouts attended Sunday Service at Kalihi Union Church in support of the only non-Catholic Scout Royce. It was definitely an eye opening experience for the Catholic boys to see a Protestant Church Service. Afterwards, the boys caught up with and interviewed former Hawaii State Legislator Dennis Arakaki who, by coincidence, happens to be on a Catholic Committee even though he is Protestant.
Hawaiian Excursions Father Damien Tour
To get the best prices on activities and tours in Hawaii be sure to book your excursion with Tom Barefoot's Tours. For more information or to make a booking visit:
Damien School with the Relic of St. Damien
Students of Damien School, youth and young adults of Molokai and the diocese, Fr. Clyde and others, carrying the relic of St. Damien down the cliffs of Molokai into Kalaupapa.
May 10 - Homily: Damien, the Contagious Saint
Fr. Matthias outlines the life of St. Damien of Molokai, Hawaii and how he is an example of fulfilling Pope Francis call to get our hands dirty. Molokai was a leper colony and he was infected with this contagious disease. However, St. Damien was also contagious to the those who had leprosy, giving them the spiritual cleansing of the gospel and the sacraments.
Ave Maria!
Mass: St. Damien of Molokai - Opt Mem
Readings: Wednesday 4th Week of Easter
1st: act 12:24-13:5
Resp: psa 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8 0
Gsp: joh 12:44-50
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Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement and National Historical Park | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Kalaupapa Leprosy Settlement and National Historical Park
00:00:58 1 History of Kalaupapa peninsula
00:01:45 1.1 History of the Kalaupapa leprosy settlements (1865 – present)
00:05:48 2 Representation in popular culture
00:07:10 3 Park description
00:08:02 4 See also
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SUMMARY
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Kalaupapa National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located in Kalaupapa, Hawaiʻi, on the island of Molokaʻi. Coterminous with the boundaries of Kalawao County and primarily on Kalaupapa peninsula, it was established by Congress in 1980 to expand upon the earlier National Historic Landmark site of the Kalaupapa Leper Settlement. It is administered by the National Park Service. Its goal is to preserve the cultural and physical settings of the two leper colonies on the island of Molokaʻi, which operated from 1866 to 1969 and had a total of 8500 residents over the decades.
More than 7300 people live on the remainder of the island, which was a site of cattle ranching and pineapple production for decades. Much of these lands were purchased and controlled by the owners and developers of Molokai Ranch. This part of the island is also a tourist destination.
The Soul of Kalaupapa | Fred E. Woods
Fred E. Woods was a BYU professor in the Department of Church History and Doctrine and the Richard L. Evans Professor of Religious Understanding when this devotional was given on 23 September 2008.
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