Ms. Garratt’s Blog
Here you’ll find a range of resources to help you get the most from your PSHE lessons. I’ve included links to recommended websites as well as a range of study materials to help you become increasingly independent and successful learners. If you need help come and see me or contact me through this Blog.Archive for Heroes of Faith
Father Damien of Molokai – News of Canonization
You’ll have looked at the story of Father Damien as part of your Year 8 People of Faith studies.
He was born in Belgium in 1840 and was ordained as a Catholic missionary priest in Honolulu in 1864. In 1873 he volunteered to go to work as a resident priest to a large leper colony.
At a time when there was enormous fear of leprosy, little understanding of it and no effective treatment for the disease, Damien lived alongside the lepers, caring for their spiritual needs, building their accommodation, acting as their medical attendant, building their coffins, digging their graves and staying beside them as they died.
In 1885 he became infected with leprosy and died in 1888.
Following over sixty years of scrutiny by the Catholic Church, Damien is due to be made a saint later this year. On 11th October at a ceremony in Rome, conducted by the Pope, he will be canonized.
After the death of remarkable Catholics who have given their lives to the service of God, the Catholic Church begins a careful examination of every aspect of their lives. This process may take a very long time.
In order to be made a saint, several criteria have to be met. One of these is that two miracles must be proved to have happened following people’s prayers to the individual concerned. Two miracles have now occurred following people’s prayers to Damien.
See if you can find out what they are. Write a brief summary of one of them, together with your thoughts about what you’ve found out, and send it through as a comment to this Post.
If you’d like to, find out about other miracles that have happened after people have prayed for help to other notable Catholics. For example, look at what has happened when people have prayed to Mother Teresa.
