-
Birth
Born in Tremelo, Belgium, With the name Jozef De Veuster.
He was the 7th child in his family -
Followed his family
He followed his brother and 2 sisters footsteps and became a PIcpus Brother.At age 18 he joined his brother at his order -
Took name Damien
made his 1st religious vows and took the name Damien -
Religious vows
made religious vows in Paris -
assigned a mission
His prayer was answered and because of his brothers illness Damien was sent to Hawaii instead of his brother -
Landed in Hawaii
He was a missionary -
Period: to
Worked in Hawaii
-
Ordained
He was Ordained to the preisthood at the Cathedral of our lady of peace. -
Period: to
Lepers sent to Kalawao County
People thought that leprosy was highly contagious and incurable and in 1865 the KIng approved the "Act to Prevent the Spreadof Leprosy" and over 8,000 lepers were went away -
Went to Leper Colony at Kalaupapa
The Bishop realised that sending people to this place could be a death sentene and did not want to send anyone, but he realised they needed a priest. 4 priests volunteered, Father Damien was the 1st to volunteer. There were 816 lepers living there. He built a church, homes, beds, coffins he established the Parish of Saint Philomena and dug graves.At the age of 33 he went there. -
Found our he had Leprosy
He put his foot into scalding water and felt nothing, he had contracted leprosy. -
Death
He died of leprosy at age 49 at 8am -
Treatment
Dr Masanao Goto was aJapanese leprologist and treated Damien -
Bedridden
He knew death was near, his arm was in a sling, his foot in bandages and his leg was dragging. -
General confession and renewed vows
-
Recieved Holy Viaticum
-
Recieved Extreme Unction
-
Funeral
The whole settlement followed the funeral to the cemetery and he was laid to reat under a pandanus tree -
Beturned to Belgium
Damiens body was returned and now rests in Leuven -
Feast Day
In Hawaii his feast day is the day of his death -
Feast day
-
declared venerable
By Pope Paul VI -
Beatified
by Pope John Paul II
the remains of his right hand were returned to Hawaii and re-buried in his origional grave -
Liturgical calendar
Placed on the liturgical calender with the rank of optional memorial. -
Honoured in Belgium
De Grootste Belg (The greatest Belgian) -
announced that he would be cononized
-
Cononized
in Rome by Pope Benedict XVI