By Jennifer Rector Hawaii Catholic Herald On Oct. 11, 2009, people speaking different languages and from many nations all united at the Vatican to witness Pope Benedict XVI proclaim Hawaii’s first saint — Father Damien de Veuster of Molokai. The canonization of St. Damien put a spotlight on his courageous story of ministry to Hansen’s […]
Reflection: An isle family’s deep connection to Father Damien
By Alika Hussey Sheldon Special to the Herald Sometimes in a family’s long and complicated history, a story emerges from a long-lost relative that was shared with family members who believed it was worth preserving. Oral tradition is usually passed on in this way and goes back to the time of the early church. Then […]
The story of the statue: How Father Damien’s capitol sculpture came to be
This story first ran in the Hawaii Catholic Herald in July 2008. It is being reprinted here after renewed interest in the Father Damien statue in the National Statuary Hall Collection. A duplicate statue sits outside the Hawaii state capitol. The story of the statue It took years of grassroots campaigning, political maneuvering, artistic disputes, […]
