jplumey 's Profile

At 14, he began studies at the Ottawa junior seminary. After about two and a half years there, the overworked Lafrenière had to leave for health reasons.

“I had to put that aside for a while and take a different avenue,”

That different avenue included a 49-year marriage, a son and a 25-year career in insurance

Sacred Hearts Seminary

Damien left for Hawaii

Upon arrival in Honolulu, Damien was sent to the windward side of Oahu to
complete his studies

Shortly before Damien's arrival in Hawaii, leprosy began to spread among the
native Hawaiians

The leper colony in Kalaupapa eventually included many Catholics who were in
need of a priest. 

He
became the advocate for the settlement to the government, built houses for
every resident, provided conventional medical care and experimented with new
medications, planted
orchards and imported cattle, built an aqueduct to bring fresh water into the
settlement, expanded the pre-existing St. Philomena's church, and established
two orphanages (one each for boys and girls

Before Damien left Belgium for the missions, he visited a shrine to the
Blessed Mother.  He asked her for 12 years of missionary service. 
It is interesting to note that it was in his 12th year in the leper colony that
he was diagnosed with the most virulent form of leprosy.  He lived and worked for 4 more years before
succumbing to the disease on April 15, 1889.  He was 49 years old. 
On Pentecost Sunday, 1995,Pope John Paul II declared Father Damien among the
"Blessed" and gave him the title "Servant of Humanity."  Father Damien's
Feast Day is May 10, the day he arrived to serve the Leprosarium in 1863.