10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CANONIZATION
At the altar with Bishop Larry Silva were Bishop Camilo Gonzalez, bishop emeritus of La Vega in the Dominican Republic, left, and Bishop Rene Mayugba, bishop of the Diocese of Laoag in the Philippines. (Photo courtesy of Dann Ebina)
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Bishop Larry Silva began his homily for the evening Mass Oct. 11 marking the 10th anniversary of St. Damien’s canonization by describing an outhouse.
The structure near the Siloama Protestant Church at the Kalaupapa settlement for leprosy patients had facilities for two — not “men” and “women” as you would suspect, he said, but “patient” and “kokua,” those who had the disease and their caretakers who did not.
The compulsory divide between the sick and the healthy, enforced since biblical times, was a barrier St. Damien “broke through” the first day he landed on Molokai, Bishop Silva said.
The bishop celebrated the commemorative liturgy with two guest bishops, a dozen priests, and a congregation of about 150, in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, the church where St. Damien was ordained and celebrated his first Mass.
“Father Damien routinely broke through the barriers,” Bishop Silva said. “He was imitating his master Jesus” who “willingly crossed the divide” between the divine and human, “dying for us when we were still sinners.”
“Father Damien must have meditated on the acts of heroism by Jesus,” the bishop said.
Sacred Hearts Sister Katherine Francis Miller venerates the relic of St. Damien with a kiss. (Photo courtesy of Dann Ebina)
“We give thanks to God for the example of this frail human being” who expressed his love for others “by breaking down the barriers,” he said.
“There are many barriers that God wants us to pierce through,” Bishop Silva said.
The greatest honor we can pay St. Damien is to imitate him, he said. “Damien was not afraid to break through barriers. We are sent and called to do the same.”
Joining Bishop Silva at the altar were two visiting bishops.
Bishop Camilo Gonzalez, bishop emeritus of La Vega in the Dominican Republic was in Hawaii to film a segment of his Spanish language television show “La Voz del Obisbo” on St. Damien and St. Marianne Cope.
Bishop Rene Mayugba, bishop of the Diocese of Laoag in the Philippines, was in the Islands visiting the three priests from his diocese who serve here.
The Mass began with a procession led by Sacred Hearts Brother Richard Kupo holding a relic of St. Damien, accompanied by Sacred Hearts Sister Jane Francis Leandro carrying a maile lei to adorn the relic on its display stand in front of the altar.
In the congregation were sisters, brothers and seminarians of the Congregation to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, St. Damien’s order. Proclaiming the Gospel in a deep, resonant voice was Sacred Hearts Deacon Niuliki Esitio, a native of Wallis and Futuna, a French territory west of Samoa, who will be ordained a priest on Nov. 23.
Also well represented were the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, St. Marianne’s order.
The liturgy was enriched by a wide variety of music in English, Latin and Hawaiian including three hymns about St. Damien.
Bishop Silva gave the final blessing using the Damien relic, a bone from the saint’s foot, to trace the sign of the cross over the congregation.
After the bishops and priests processed out of the cathedral, the relic was returned to its stand and worshippers lined up one-by-one to venerate it with a kiss or a touch and a silent prayer.
After Mass outside the church, cathedral staff handed out bento dinners and the people ate and mingled into the evening.
