• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

SHRINE OF FATHER DAMIEN

April 12, 2014 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Molokai, Hawaii

(photo from Wikipedia)

(photo from Wikipedia)

Jozef De Veuster, better known as Father Damien, may be America’s best known saint, at least outside of the United States.  A Catholic missionary to Hawaii in the 19th century, Father Damien became renowned for his work at one of the world’s most famous leper colonies.  His ministry lasted throughout much of the second half of the 19th century before he succumbed to the disease he worked so hard to treat.  A highly honored figure in Hawaii, his shrine on the island of Molokai is one of the most important and popular religious sites in the Pacific.

History

Jozef De Veuster was born in Belgium in 1840 into a highly pious family.  Three of his siblings took vows with the Church, and Jozef was determined at a young age to join them.  Not considered a good candidate for the priesthood, he instead sought the opportunity to serve as a missionary.  In 1863, he was chosen to replace his brother who became too ill to undertake an assigned mission to the Pacific.  In 1864 he arrived in Honolulu.

His first assignment was to the Big Island.  Around this time, the islands were becoming rampant with diseases brought by increasing numbers of western visitors.  Among these diseases was one of the most dreaded, leprosy, which was spreading through the populace.  Much of Father Damien’s ministry was spent aiding the sick, but his greatest concern was to help those suffering from leprosy.

Beginning in 1866, in a desperate effort to halt the spread of the disease, those with leprosy were relocated to a colony on Molokai and isolated.  This colony, underfunded and undersupported, soon became a nightmare for its residents.  In 1873, Father Damien and three other priests volunteered to go to Molokai.  There he built a new church, helped to get the community better organized, and worked diligently to alleviate the sufferings of those in his charge.

Father Damien is credited with saving the leper colony from total anarchy.  In 1884, he himself contracted the disease.  However, he lived on for another five years continuing his work.  He died in 1889.  The story of his life and work, promoted by the Hawaiian royal family, became a worldwide inspiration, impacting such people as Mahatma Gandhi.  He was canonized in 2009.

Visiting

The Shrine of Father Damien is the most revered Christian site on the Hawaiian Islands.  Upon his death in 1889, he was buried on the spot where he first slept when he came to Molokai.  His grave became an overnight pilgrimage destination, visited by many who came to the islands.  In 1936, the remains were removed and transported to Belgium where they were reinterred.  Only part of the body was returned after his canonization.

The shrine itself may enjoy one of the most beautiful settings of any Catholic saint anywhere.  A simple grave marked by a stone cross and surrounded by a small fence, Father Damien’s original resting place is surrounded by palm trees and typically draped with homemade leis of flowers.  The only part of the saint which is buried on the site is his right hand.

The Shrine of Father Damien is located on an isolated beach on the north shore of the island of Molokai, approximately fifty miles east of Honolulu.  It is immediately next door to St. Philomena’s Church.  The grave is an open site.  There is no cost of admission.  Web: www.fatherdamien.com (official website).

Other Sites

Father Damien is one of the most honored figures in Hawaiian history.  A Statue of Father Damien stands outside of the Hawaii state capitol building.  The rest of his body is buried in the Church of the Sacred Hearts in Leuven, Belgium.

Filed Under: Gravesite Saint, Roman Catholic Tagged With: Australia/Pacific

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.