Saint profile picture
A picture of Saint Damien of Molokai
Full Name
Jozef De Veuster
Resting Country
Resting City
Louvain
Feast
Feast Text
The celebration day
Feast Date
10
5
Birth place
Birth Country
Birth City
Tremelo
Death place
Death Country
Death City
Kalaupapa
Age
49
Places of Mission
Mission Country
Mission Country
Shrines
Shrine Country
Shrine City
Louvain
Beatified Country
Beatified City
Brussels
Canonised Country
Biography

I was born as Joseph de Veuster in Belgium in 1840.  When I was 20 years old I joined my brother in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. My religious name was Damien. After I experienced a vision of Saint Francis, I felt that I should follow a missionary vocation. We sailed for Hawaii in 1863 and after my arrival there I was ordained a priest. I heard about the horrors on the island of Molokai, where people with leprosy were being sent. I decided to volunteer for the service to these abandoned people. I devoted myself to help everyone on Molokai. One day, I was rewarded the highest Hawaiian decoration for my work. I always was persistent to give God the very first place in my work, even after I discovered that I too had leprosy. I died on April 15, 1889.

Linked to people - Custom
Saint Marianne Cope
Patron of people
Patron of place
Depiction in iconography
Attributes in iconography
Birth Date
3
1
1840
Is BC
Off
Death Date
15
4
1889
Is BC
Off
Beatified
4
6
1995
Is BC
Off
Canonised
11
10
2009
Is BC
Off
Vocation
Description
Missionary; Member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Video Image
Selfie Image
Gender
Male