St. Damien Celebration

Bishop Larry Silva and servers get ready to begin the celebration at St. Damien celebration

Uluwehi Guerrero chant one of the songs at the Mass

Clergy at the Celebration of St. Damien at the War Memorial Gym

Fathers Roland and Efren Thomas along with Deacon Bissen. Fr. Damien of Molokai was canonized a saint by Pope Benedict in Rome on October 11 of this year. There were over 600 people from Hawaii that attended this historical moment along with eleven patient from Kalaupapa, Molokai where Fr. Damien ministered to the lepers for sixteen years he died of leprosy on April 15, 1889. Here at St. Anthony Church we were blessed to have his first class relic here for four hours on October 24th. We begin this vigil with Mass at 5:00 p.m. followed by silence, quiet prayer and meditation. Our parishioners were able to approach the koa box that contained the relics and offer prayers. Later, the recitation of the rosary and the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy were celebrated. The next day parishioners around the Island of Maui celebrated a Mass in the Memorial Gym with Bishop Larry Silva presided along with fouteen priests and five deacons from Maui.