St. Damien de Veuster – Saints of America Biography
Saint Damien de Veuster (1840–1889) devoted his life to serving those society had abandoned. He joined the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and traveled to Hawaii at age 23, stepping in for his ill brother. There, he ministered to those suffering from leprosy on the remote Kalaupapa Peninsula of Molokai. Faced with extreme poverty, disease, and neglect, he not only provided spiritual care but also built homes, dug graves, dressed wounds, and fought tirelessly for resources and dignity for his patients. In time, he contracted the disease himself, identifying wholeheartedly with the people he served as “we lepers.” Despite suffering, he found strength in the Eucharist and continued his work until his death.
Born: January 3, 1840
Died: April 15, 1885
Patron: Those with leprosy
The National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion has created Catholic Saints of America as a resource for catechesis on the Causes for Sainthood in the United States.