Faith » St. Damien of Molokai

St. Damien of Molokai

 
PRAYER TO ST. DAMIEN
 

Saint Damien,
You ministered to those in despair and isolation.

I call upon you to open my heart and mind, 关心穷人、病人、疲惫的人和被遗忘的人.

Bestow upon me the inner strength of faith, and unconditional compassion to be a disciple of Christ.

As a Spartan, I come before you a humble servant of God, bless me with the spirit of your love and instill in me the touch of healing and grace that you yourself possessed.

Amen.
Saint Damien... Pray for Us.

St. Damien of Molokai

Joseph de Veuster, known throughout the world as Father Damien, was born on January 3, 1840, at Tremeloo, (not far from Louvain) Belgium. On February 2, 1859, he followed in the footsteps of his brother Pamphile by entering the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary; and on October 7, 1860, 他选择了达米安这个名字作为他的宗教职业.

In October 1863, Damien's brother, Father Pamphile, 他被派到夏威夷的圣心传教会, fell ill of typhus. Damien, not yet ordained, begged to be allowed to take his brother's place, for which permission was granted.

Following ordination to the Priesthood on May 21, 1864, in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, 接下来的八年,达米安在夏威夷岛的科哈拉区度过. In July 1872, Damien wrote to the Father General that many of his parishioners had been sent to the Leper Settlement on Molokai; he spoke of an “undeniable feeling that soon I shall join them.”

Molokai

当达米安5月10日第一次到达莫洛凯岛时, 1873, the situation, in the words of Robert Louis Stevenson, was, “a pitiful place to visit and hell to dwell in.麻风病人被送到那里等着腐烂和死亡,没有人试图治愈或阻止这种疾病. Lepers were outcasts from society, separated from those they loved, 患有一种被认为令人厌恶和不洁的疾病的, all but abandoned by the medical profession, 除了最不常见的宗教仪式,甚至没有任何安慰. They easily succumbed to apathy and hopelessness. Many, disheartened to the point of desperation, 抓住一切能让他们暂时平静下来的东西——酒精, gambling, lewd dancing, 还有放荡的生活——当一船又一船的新病人到来时,他们发出了欢迎的呼声, was, “In this place there is no law.达米安写道:“定居点绝对需要一个牧师。 . . . I believe it my duty to offer myself . . . I am willing to devote my life to the leprosy victims. The sick are arriving by boatloads. They die in droves . . . 我成了麻疯病人,与麻疯病人同住,为要得众人为耶稣基督. When I preach, I am in the habit of saying,"We Lepers!"

从1873年到1889年,达米恩神父服侍麻风病人长达16年之久, 给他们带来尽可能多的物质和精神上的安慰. 他自我强加的责任包括任何能帮助或安慰他们的事情, from bandaging sores, making coffins, and digging graves to building churches, hearing confessions, and saying Mass. 他费了很大的劲才为定居点提供了急需的淡水供应. He ate from a common bowl, food prepared by a leper, 抽着共用的烟斗,从一口传到另一口,使用共用的工具. Indeed he was, in the words of St. Paul, “All things to all Men.”

“从早到晚,”他写道,“我被可怕的肉体和精神上的痛苦包围着. 然而,我尽量有一定的快乐来建立自己的勇气.” In that effort, he certainly was successful. 这位关怀备至、和蔼可亲的牧师的出现,完全改变了这个定居点的气氛. 穷人很快意识到他们有了一位真正的朋友. They were no longer orphans. A wave of hope surged through the colony. 他们不再是那些被社会轻易遗忘的人, 因为达米安让世界看到了数百万麻风病人的需要和痛苦,并因此激发了许多人慷慨地支持他们的工作.

Apostle of the Eucharist

Father Damien was truly an apostle of the Eucharist. 他对圣餐的爱传递给了麻疯病人. 他组织了美丽的礼拜仪式,使他们与造物主更紧密地结合在一起, frequent Benediction, and Eucharistic Processions.

当他建立了许多礼拜教堂时,他体验到了麻风病人的信仰和奉献精神. 与在岛上建立永恒的圣餐崇拜有关, Father Damien wrote to his provincial in 1888, "This is the fifteenth year we observe night adoration..., all of us lepers."

Father Damien lived for the Eucharist. 正是这种强烈的使徒身份充满了麻风病人的生活. 他们的圣餐崇拜是对主的一种有启发性的敬意. He wrote to his brother, "Without the constant presence of our Divine Master, 我永远不能把我的命运与麻风病人的命运联系在一起."

Death

在成为这种可怕疾病的受害者五年后, Father Damien died peacefully on April 15, 1889, at the beginning of Holy Week. On June 4, 1995, 教皇约翰保罗二世宣布达米安神父受祝福,并将他的节日定为5月10日.

很少有传教士因为他们的奉献和热情而得到感激和公众的高度荣誉. We, the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts, are rightly proud, therefore, that not only is this high school named in his honor, 但在一个非常独特的画廊里也有一座纪念他的雕像, Statuary Hall in the nation's Capitol, Washington, DC.

 

NOVENA TO ST. DAMIEN

FIRST DAY:
Dear St Damien, 你被送到一个不会说当地语言的地方上学,人们因此欺负你. 我们为那些在学校或工作中或在任何情况下被欺负的人祈祷. May they emulate you in not accepting it. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SECOND DAY:
亲爱的圣达米恩,你爱你的父母但你更爱上帝. 你知道神呼召你作祭司,你也回应了神的呼召,尽管你知道父母对你有别的期望. 我们是否可以把神放在第一位,永远不要因为其他的依恋而拒绝神的呼召. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
THIRD DAY:
Dear St Damien, you gave up family, country and language to go and evangelize, 知道你再也见不到你的家和家人了. 请给我们一些你的勇气和远见. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
FOURTH DAY:
亲爱的圣达米恩,你在夏威夷不知疲倦地工作,付出一切来宣扬基督. We pray that we can value our faith as much as you did. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
FIFTH DAY:
亲爱的圣达米恩,当你去莫洛凯岛的时候你已经准备好放弃自己的生命去服务他人. 帮助我们明白这种基督徒的爱,并开始为自己渴望它. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SIXTH DAY:
Dear St Damien, 当你第一次来到麻风病隔离区时你被病人们所厌恶, 但你没有让他们看到这一点,继续为他们工作. We pray to have this spirit so we can put others first, thinking of their needs and feelings rather than our own. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
SEVENTH DAY:
亲爱的圣达米安,你没有很好地处理官僚作风,经常因你的粗鲁无礼而冒犯别人. You had to learn to ask forgiveness. 我们永远不要认为神因为我们的品格而不能使用我们吗, 愿我们也能谦卑地请求被我们冒犯过的人原谅. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
EIGHTH DAY:
Dear St Damien, 你们在莫洛凯岛受了很大的苦,因为你们不能参加圣礼, especially the sacrament of reconciliation. 我们是否可以了解这圣事的重要性,并经常求助于它. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.
NINTH DAY:
亲爱的圣达米恩,你遭受了可怕的孤独,并向圣体寻求安慰. We pray for all who are lonely. Help us to give time to anyone we know who is lonely, and to give time to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. We pray especially for (mention your request).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be.