NEWS FROM PAGES PAST
50 years ago — April 25, 1969
Washington – The Most Reverend John J. Scanlan, Catholic Bishop of Hawaii, second from left, was among speakers at the ceremonies held in the Nation’s Capitol for the placement of the statues of Father Damien and King Kamehameha in the National Statuary Hall. Bishop Scanlan with Apostolic Delegate Luigi Raimondi, far right, are pictured with Senator and Mrs. Hiram L. Fong. The lei-laden statue of Father Damien is pictured in back of Senator Fong. (U.S. Senate photo)
25 years ago — May 6, 1994
At first, disbelief
Disbelief was the first reaction. “The pope broke his leg – you’re joking, right?”
But finally it sunk in, reinforced by short unambiguous faxed messages from Rome and long distance phone calls: The pope wasn’t going to Belgium. The May 15 beatification of Father Damien of Molokai was postponed until further notice.
10 years ago — May 1, 2009
‘Voices of Kalaupapa’ choral work to debut at Episcopal cathedral
The premiere performance of “Voices of Kalaupapa,” a musical work commissioned by the Honolulu Symphony Chorus in honor of Father Damien de Veuster’s upcoming canonization, will be performed for the first time on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew Episcopal Cathedral in Honolulu.
The work was composed by Donald Womack, who won a “call for compositions” contest to create a Damien-inspired piece.