The date of October 14 2009 has been set by the Vatican for the Canonisation of Blessed Joseph de Veuster, otherwise known as Father Damien, the Priest who cared for lepers on a colony in Molokai. Fr Damien's life of heroic virtue is a staggering example of pastoral love and service to the most marginalised and excluded.
It was characteristic of him that when he spoke to his congregation he spoke of "we brothers and sisters" but one morning, after the confirmation of his personal suspicion that he himself had contracted the disease, he addressed his flock and said: "We lepers…" It is said that from that day the bitter opposition from among the lepers to his stern programmes melted away.
It is a great paradox of the Catholic faith that a priest who renounced everything to live in service of the poorest should himself contract the disease, but very much an echo of Christ, who became for us a Man of Sorrows, one disfigured and one from whom men turned away their gaze, during His Passion. It is a sign of his total and unconditional solidarity with the poorest.
For a wonderful biography of his life click here. Also you can buy the DVD of the life of Fr Damien, entitled simply, 'Molokai' from Amazon for £14.95 new, or, even better, as little as £1.49 used. Click here for the appropriate Amazon webpage.
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