Saint Damien De Veuster

Father Damien De Veuster, born Jozef De Veuster on January 3, 1840, was a Belgian Catholic priest who served as part of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He arrived in Molokaʻi, Kingdom of Hawaii, in 1873 to minister to a leper colony. For eleven years, he cared for patients suffering from leprosy, teaching them about the Catholic faith and establishing essential infrastructure such as houses, schools, roads, hospitals, and churches. Despite his own health issues, including tuberculosis, Damien continued his work until contracting leprosy himself in 1889. He passed away on April 15, 1889, at the age of forty-nine. Father Damien is remembered for his selfless service to those ostracized by society and has been described as a 'martyr of charity.' He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009, and is celebrated with a feast day on May 10.