"Lepers' Apostle" to Be Declared a Saint [Father Damián de Veuster]

Zenit.org ^ | February 16, 2009 | Zenit.org

[Salvation]

"Lepers' Apostle" to Be Declared a Saint

Father Damián Ministered in Hawaii

VATICAN CITY, FEB. 16, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The miraculous healing of a Hawaiian woman with cancer is leading to the canonization of a priest known for his ministry on the island with lepers relegated to a sequestered community.

Belgian Father Damián de Veuster (1840-1889) is known as the apostle to the lepers, for his ministry on the island of Molokai. The Holy See reported today that on Saturday, there will be a consistory to decide the date for his canonization, and that of nine other blesseds.

Pope John Paul II beatified Father Damián in 1995.

The priest requested to work with the lepers, providing them with religious and practical support since they were denied necessary medical treatment and provided only with food and basic supplies. Father Damián managed to establish for them a parish, schools and a society. He himself died of leprosy.

The miracle that paved the way for his canonization was the healing of Audrey Toguchi of Honolulu. Her cancer was considered incurable, but she spent nearly a year asking God to heal her through the intercession of Father Damián.

She said that during that period, her prayer was directed to God "exclusively through Blessed Damián. I am convinced that this miraculous disappearance of the cancer is due to the intercession of Blessed Damián."

[Salvation]

The story of Father Damian is one of total inspiration for me.

[Salvation]

"Lepers' Apostle" to Be Declared a Saint

Finally, It's Official: Molokai's Hero = Hawaii's Saint

A Parish of Lepers [Bl. Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molokai]

Bld. Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molokai

[nickcarraway]

Bump

[kittycatonline.com]

She said that during that period, her prayer was directed to God "exclusively through Blessed Damián. I am convinced that this miraculous disappearance of the cancer is due to the intercession of Blessed Damián."

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Father Damien was a great man. Jesus, however, is the Son of God, and makes it pretty clear the only way to the Father is through Him. Catholics have John 14:6 in their Bible, too, so it's not like this is news to them.

[ZULU]

He is a real saint.

[Kolokotronis]

When I was a child, the nuns held Father Damian up to us as an example of “dying to the self”, though they didn’t use those words. His story had a powerful impact. This is a man who is surely a saint.

[Salvation]

Of course, the miracles are a result of the intercession to Christ by the saints. They are much closer to Him than we are.

BTW, did you ever ask anyone to pray for you? Same thing. We ask the saints to pray for us.

No displacing Christ at all. Are you really voicing misconceptions that you were taught along the way?

[kittycatonline.com]

1 John 2:1

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

If I can get JESUS CHRIST to advocate on my behalf, why on Heaven or earth would I waste my time with some dead saint?

[marianrep]

You still fail to understand what Catholics believe about the communion of saints. When you go to church and pray with others, you are asking others to pray with you and for you. We believe that this praying can including asking saints and other holy men and women to pray with us and for us. Death does not end one’s ability to pray with others. Concern yourself with your own prayer life, please and not with ours.

[kittycatonline.com]

Believing something doesn’t make it true, and besides, you should be ready to give an answer for what you believe. (1 Pe 3:15) Telling me to go away isn’t exactly a compelling argument.

Praying together with fellow believers is not the same thing as asking a dead saint to intervene on your behalf.

With all respect to your Catholic faith, if these men of the past prayed to Jesus or to the Father for their needs, why shouldn’t you? You have the same access to the throne of grace, and indeed, Jesus, the perfect and ultimate final sacrifice for sins, has paid a price no man, regardless of their greatness, could ever better.

[foreshadowed at waco]

Why can’t you let people work out their own path to salvation? Conceit is a form of pride, isn’t it? Why should anyone have to answer to you?

[kittycatonline.com]

Why can’t you let people work out their own path to salvation? Conceit is a form of pride, isn’t it? Why should anyone have to answer to you?

Nobody has to answer to me at all. But, I'm not the one you have to worry about.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus said that, not me. He's the one folks will end up answering to. His statement makes no room whatsoever for "working out your own path to salvation". There is one path. He said it, not me.

[Patriotic1]

It’s the concept of the communion of saints - specifically the Church Triumphant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Militant.

[Spiff]

I just listened to a talk about Kalaupapa (the leper colony in Molokai) and have been doing a little bit of reading up on it. I heard there was a film to be released this year, but I can’t find anything about it on the Internet. The story of this colony and the way that mixed religions have been able to totally get along is an inspiration for me.