Deacon William Tulua, left, holds the relic of St. Damien and Father Brad Krawczek holds the relic of St. Marianne as the faithful come forward to venerate the two Hawaii saints at Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Pete Fenelon/Catholic Herald)
By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald
The relics of Hawaii’s two saints paid a visit to a suburb of Milwaukee last month where they were venerated by about 30 people.
Reliquaries of St. Damien, left, and St. Marianne are displayed on a small table in the main chapel of Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. (Photo courtesy of Pete Fenelon/Catholic Herald)
Hawaii deacon and seminarian William “Pila” Tulua led the 45-minute devotional service honoring St. Damien de Veuster and St. Marianne Cope in the main chapel at Sacred Heart Seminary in Hales Corners, Wisconsin, where he is a student.
Tulua gave a brief history of the two saints who served the Hansen’s disease patients of Molokai, and included a mention of Brother Joseph Dutton, St. Damien’s acclaimed assistant, who lived briefly in Wisconsin about 40 miles from the seminary.
“It was a beautiful day for the veneration of the relics and the people where happy to know about these saints.” Tulua said.
He said that the congregation included former Hawaii residents and a women “who came all the way from Dubuque, Iowa, who wanted to see the saints. That is about a four-hour drive, one way!”
During the ceremony, which included hymns, Scripture readings and petitions, Tulua and Father Brad Krawczek, director of liturgy at the seminary, held the two reliquaries for the people to come forward and touch and kiss them. After the formal service, the relics were placed on a small table, encircled by ribbon leis, for a hour more of further veneration.
Participating in the service were the Order of the Knights of Saint Lazarus, who sponsored the reception that followed, and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and the Knights of Columbus.
“It was a wonderful experience knowing the saints were at the seminary,” he said.
Tulua brought the relics the next weekend to Pasadena, California, where the Knights of Saint Lazarus had a council meeting. The relics were displayed for veneration at St. Andrew Church in Pasadena where, Tulua said, many people came from “throughout Los Angeles and San Diego” to venerate the saints.
“It is humbling knowing many came to venerate the saints from so far,” Tulua said.
