Father Damien
Candles between heaven and hell
▲Father Damien (1840-1889), who devoted his life to God and patients with Han disease.
"I have decided to devote my life to these Han people (commonly known as leprosy). When I dedicated my life to the priesthood, the coffin I wore continued to lead me to bravely face this terrible disease. This is my duty. , I also try to learn more self-denial..."
~Father Damien
In September 2007, True Love took an in-depth trip to the famous Hawaii. I am a volunteer tour guide, and I have chosen "Hawaii, paradise on earth???" as the theme of this trip. Why are there three question marks after "heaven on earth"?
We organize holistic tours, which not only take everyone to enjoy the scenery, but more importantly, help them improve physically, mentally, and spiritually.
▲The statue of Father Damien in front of the Hawaii State Government Hall (photographed by Pastor Zou Jian during the True Love In-depth Tour).
A good place for missions
When mentioning Hawaii, what comes to many people's minds is: the endless golden white sand beaches, the swaying green coconut leaves in the wind, the endless blue sky, the splendid sunset, the dazzling variety of store goods, the graceful and graceful scenery. Dancing hula girl. However, if you really stay there for a long time, you will find that besides the romance that tourists dream of, there are also real life situations.
During our trip to Oahu Island on September 15, we specially visited the bronze statue of Father Damien in front of the rotunda of the Hawaii State Government Building. He is a priest, not a politician. Why does he occupy such an important position at the gate of the state government of the 50th state in the United States?
Father Damien was born in Belgium on January 3, 1840, and dedicated himself as a Catholic priest at the age of twenty. On the day of the ordination ceremony, he lay prone on the ground, covered with a black coffin representing Jesus' crucifixion and death. This ceremony of dying and being buried with the Lord Jesus is a portrayal of his future life.
dissociative disease
Han disease (formerly known as leprosy, but now the Taiwan Department of Health has changed its name to prevent patients from being discriminated against) is an "ancient disease" that has long been recorded in Egyptian, Hebrew, Indian, Chinese, Greek, and Roman literature. It spread to all parts of Europe in the Middle Ages. After the 15th century, the number of cases in Europe decreased, but it spread to the Americas through sailors and slaves, and soon reached Hawaii.
In 1865, King Kamehameha V of Hawaii issued an order: "All patients with Han disease must be forcibly isolated." Since then, Han disease has been called "Ma'i Ho'oka'awale" by the native Hawaiians, which means "separation." disease". If you contract this disease, no matter what your age, gender, status, or occupation, you must be forced to isolate, even the dearest and closest people are no exception.
At that time, the government decided to set up a Hansen sanatorium to centrally manage Hansen patients. The location was at a cape called Kalawao in the north of Molokai Island. This promontory faces the sea on three sides, and the cliffs on the south side interrupt traffic to the island. In terms of the "isolation policy", it is an ideal location. The government's idea is that after the patients are sent there, the relatively strong patients can build houses and farm fields for themselves and other seriously ill patients to become self-sufficient.
This policy seems ideal, but it is not. The first batch of ships arrived here carrying 141 Han disease patients. The captains and sailors who were drafted were unwilling to transport them on a luxury cruise ship. They actually used a boat to carry livestock and drove them far away from the ship like cattle and pigs. After a bumpy voyage, there was no pier to dock, and the crew would not let the patients take the boat. Instead, they cruelly ordered them to jump into the sea with their belongings and swim to land by themselves.
▲The small peninsula protruding in the middle of the north side of Molokai Island is the location of Hansen Sanatorium.
forgotten hell
I did research on Han disease at the University of Hawaii for two years from 1970 to 1972. I went to this sanatorium to do blood tests and immunological tests on the patients, and I especially visited the earliest landing sites of patients: scattered rocks, rough waves, Just like what Su Dongpo described in Red Cliff Poem: "Rocks and clouds collapsed, stormy waves crashed on the shore, and thousands of piles of snow were rolled up." However, the Han Dynasty patients who fell into the sea and swam ashore in the wind and waves had no poetic feelings in their hearts, and they were not regarded as "heroes of the moment." On the contrary, they are a group of poor people who have been forgotten, exiled, despised and homeless by society. Like drowned rats, they stepped onto the shore exhausted and saw a naked wasteland with no houses, electric lights, shops, schools, and of course no hospitals or churches.
The attack of disease, people's rejection, the ill treatment of the crew, and the hardship of life are like the devil roaring over and over again. At that time, there was no good treatment for Han's disease, and there was little hope of recovering and returning home. For these patients, Hawaii is not a paradise on earth, but a living hell. Cape Kalawao is a place where people talk about "island" in a different way.
Originally, the government planned for the patients to "work together" and build shelters to protect themselves from the wind and rain. However, the island has abundant rainfall and a lot of wild taro grows, so the patients can develop some small farms to make a living. However, the government did not provide bricks, tools, food, materials, or guidance personnel. "It is difficult for a skilled woman to make a meal without rice." What's worse is that these people who have no hope in life, no hope in society, and no hope in God actually give up on themselves. The tough patients form gangs and take plunder. The later "new islanders" are killed by these "robbers" when they land ashore. "Loot everything. There are no police, no courts, it is simply lawless.
initial care
Fortunately, not long after, these abandoned people finally had someone to care for them. Who are those people? Those who believe in Jesus Christ. They know that in addition to preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven when the Lord Jesus was on earth, He also healed all kinds of sick people. At that time, people considered Han sick patients who were "unclean", had disheveled hair, and lived in the wilderness, but Jesus touched them with his hands and healed them. As Christian and Catholic medical staff, priests, priests, and lay people went there to help them, the situation gradually improved. Catholic patients also responded to the Bishop of Hawaii and requested that more clergy be sent there, instead of just one drop-in every year. So the Catholic Church decided to adopt a rotating system and send a priest there every three months to administer the sacraments.
Father Damian was the first clergyman to volunteer for a regular shift. The bishop's original intention of sending him there was only for a short-term rotation to shepherd the spiritual lives of Catholics. Less than nine days after he arrived on the peninsula in 1873, he deeply felt the urgent physical and spiritual needs of more than 800 local patients and family members. He immediately wrote a letter to the bishop: "I have decided to devote my life to these Han disease patients. Han disease patients are sent here in one boat after another, and it is absolutely necessary for a priest to be fixed here to shepherd them."
Compare one's heart to one's heart
For sixteen years, Father Damian was fully devoted to this ministry. He not only cares about the spiritual health of Catholics, but also enthusiastically takes care of the physical and spiritual needs of patients. He washed patients' wounds, changed dressings and bandages, and even performed amputations on patients with rotten feet. He connected water pipes from a distant spring for everyone to drink. In the past, dead patients were either thrown into the sea, abandoned on the river bed, or buried hastily, causing the bodies to be eaten by wild boars. Father Damien had learned carpentry. He made coffins for the deceased and performed mass for burial. It is estimated that he made more than 1,600 coffins on the island.
Once, the Hawaiian Islands were swept by a typhoon, and the simple huts on those islands were blown away. He applied for timber from the government's Department of Health and helped build 300 houses so that patients could "have a home to call home." He also led the patients to organize a band and choir, which not only sang at Sunday mass, but also came in handy whenever distinguished guests visited the island. In 1881, Queen Lili'uokalani, the last ruler of the Hawaiian Dynasty, came to visit. The band played Mozart's mass, which deeply moved the queen, who was deeply versed in poetry and music. She once wrote "Cherish Goodbye" ( Aloha 'Oe) and several other world-famous songs.
lay down one's life for one's friends
In his eleventh year of ministry in the sanatorium, Father Damian also contracted Han disease. In December 1884, he found that his feet were soaked in scalding hot water and he could not feel anything. Gradually, his face began to deform, and ulcers spread to his hands and feet, spreading to his throat and lungs. But he has no regrets, nor does he feel sorry for himself. He remained full of energy and tirelessly tended to other patients. He loved them regardless of their faith and treated them like a father.
His thoughts were expressed in a letter he wrote to the bishop after he fell ill: "The day I dedicated my life to the priesthood twenty-five years ago, the burial pall I wore continued to give me the courage to face the dangers of being infected by this disease. It’s scary. It’s my duty, and I’m trying to learn to be more self-denial…I find that as the disease spreads, I feel more content and happier.”
On April 15, 1889, this great man finally passed away. A few days before his death, some church members cried bitterly beside his bed, but he comforted them: "Don't cry, don't cry! If I have any merit before God, I will definitely intercede for each of you." After his death. , people buried him in a corner of Molokai Island, the place he loved and served diligently during his lifetime. His tombstone is engraved with: "No man has greater love than this, to lay down his life for his friends." Before the death of the Lord Jesus, he taught his disciples, "I am the true vine" and "You must love one another as I have loved you." Just mention this (see John 15:13). Isn't this a portrayal of Father Damien's life? In memory of him, the Hawaii State Legislature erected his bronze statue at the entrance of the Honolulu State Government Hall in 1975.
No matter how enthusiastic and hard a person is, his achievements are still limited. But Father Damien sacrificed himself no matter the cost in response to God's love. Heavenly Father’s incomparable love prevented him from viewing these Han disease patients as “dirty, terrible, disgusting, and useless” as people at that time did. On the contrary, he firmly believes that Han disease patients are also people deeply loved by God, and the Lord Jesus was crucified on the cross for them. They deserve to be respected and loved, and are our dear brothers and sisters.
Father Damien "proves" this with his body, mind and soul!
Thoughts and Responses
1. What life decision did Father Damien make when he was twenty? What rituals have you gone through? What does this ceremony represent? What impact did it have on his subsequent career?
2. Was there any cure for Han disease at that time? What is the Hawaiian name for this disease? What does it mean? (Please list Chinese and English) Why is it named like this?
3. Where were Hanoi patients transported to in Hawaii? Why is this location an ideal place to "quarantine patients"? What was the situation like on the ground when the first patients were sent there? Is there any medical equipment?
4. Those Han sick people who were rejected, looked down upon, and disliked by others finally had someone starting to care about them. Who are these people? Why are they willing to do this?
5. What is the cause of Han disease? Is every Han disease patient contagious? Is there still no cure? If it can be diagnosed and treated early, what will be the outcome for the patient?
6. What do you think after reading the brief story of Father Damien? Do any of the people I know live in "hell on earth"? Is anyone heading towards a hellish life? What should I set my mind to? How can we help them with love and practical actions?
Author profile
Su Wenbo is a professor at Meiyu Medical College in Minnesota, USA. He has served as the chairman of the International Society of Dermatology and the chairman of the International Society of Dermatology Committee for many years. In his spare time, he loves writing, enjoying and studying nature. He has written books such as "One Hundred Biblical Games" and "The Cloud Has a Road". Since 2002, he has served as a tour guide for the True Love Family Association’s all-in-one in-depth tour for eight consecutive years.