NEWS FROM PAGES PAST
50 years ago — April 9, 1965
Tommy Higuchi, one of five captains of winning teams in St. Francis Hospital’s 1964 employee safety contest, shows his award to Ed Danzinger, (left), safety engineer for American Factors’ Insurance Division and consultant to the hospital. The award: a ticket for a hospital cafeteria lunch, given to each winning team member by Sister Maureen (right), administrator, to “enhance employees’ taste for safety.” Winning teams represented laundry, maintenance, out-patient, pharmacy, and purchasing departments. Sister Aileen (in white) has directed the program since 1962. She is assistant administrator. (Photo Hawaii)
25 years ago — April 13, 1990
Damien for today
If Father Damien were alive today, where would he be spending his days? …
It’s not that hard to imagine. Possibly with the homeless. Or in Africa with the starving and the dying. Perhaps alongside Mother Teresa and her mission of Mercy in Calcutta.
Some would argue — among those dying of AIDS.
A planned one-hour television documentary, “Father Damien of Molokai: Simple courage for the Age of AIDS,” suggests that Damien would want to be among AIDS patients because they are very much being treated like “modern-day lepers.”
(This work-in-progress is to air on KHET/Hawaii Public Television early next year if the rest of the funds needed to complete the filming can be raised in a timely manner.)
10 years ago — April 8, 2005
The diocese mourns and reflects
Saturday, April 2, dawned in Hawaii with all signs pointing to the pope’s passing as being imminent. Reports were that he was suffering from septic shock, a high fever, and was slipping in and out of consciousness. Nevertheless, most things around the diocese were proceeding as normal. Diocesan administrator Father Thomas Gross was at an East Honolulu parish concelebrating Mass for the 25th anniversary of a priest.
Then, at around 10 a.m., a television reporter called the chancery with the news. A check with the Catholic News Service website confirmed it. The pope had died. It was evening in Rome.
The rector of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace was immediately informed and he quickly went to the church to begin the tolling of bells — 84 times, once for every year of the Holy Father’s Life.