Damien, the Leper Priest

by Anne E. Neimark

A biography of the heroic priest who gave his life working for the lepers in the Hawaiian Islands.

159 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been fascinated by Damien of Molokai. He seemed truly selfless. To learn that a number of people within his own church worked so hard to defame Damien and his work boggled my mind. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a biting letter blasting one of Damien's detractors. However, most people took him at face value. He was a man who loved people enough to join them in their forced isolation. Many of the lepers of Hawaii had understandably fallen into depression and despair after being torn from their families. Damien wanted to teach them that they were valuable and worthy of concern even though they had been discarded without care for their safety, health or lives. He eventually died a slow painful death as a result. The biography tells how he became this person. Neimark paints a picture of a man who was as human as anyone--hard to get along with, cranky, stubborn and funny. Wonderful.

[Sue Kozlowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-fiction. Awesome! Read in 3 days. Father Damien de Veuster from Belgium. Lived on Molokai (Hawaii). Lived with the lepers and treated them when no one else would. He didn't catch leprosy for a long time. Amazing person who could dedicate his life to people that the world rejected. We visited his museum in Oahu when we were on our honeymoon. Very small and sparse museum. There is a big, block-shaped statue of Father Damien in the Capital in Washington, DC. that I love. My friend at work was named after Damian!

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damien's story is amazing and inspiring. I am happy to say he will be canonized as a saint on October 11, 2009