Damien is the eternal example

It is rare that persons who have been dead now for more than a century, together with the example they set, have remained as alive to us as Damien has. Every day, his example continues to inspire both the staff members and volunteers of all possible creeds, attached to the Damien Foundation.

A clear message

Damien left us a message. A few of his character traits will serve to sum it up. They are namely, determination, the refusal to accept fate, openness towards others and tremendous courage. He needed every scrap of energy in his body to leave the beautiful city of Honolulu in order to take up residence in that living hell of Society's rejects called Molokai, the resting place of the leprosy patients, abandoned to their sad fate.

The right road

We sometimes forget these values or strengths, or sometimes put them to a wrong end. This is true in our private lives and at work. The example of Damien however has helped us at the Damien Foundation - although he must have had his weaknesses too - how to maintain a steady course. The Damien Foundation has always fought in favour of those most in need, regardless of their identity, religion, race, nationality or creed.

India and Damien

Father Damien is doubtless the greatest Belgian of all time. In Belgium, the facts speak for themselves. However, his work has won him respect in other parts of the world too. This is true also for India, where famous persons such as Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa have been unstinting in their praise, in word and thought. In 1945, Gandhi wrote «The political and journalistic world can boast of very few heroes who compare with Father Damien of Molokai. It is worthwhile to look for the sources of such heroism».

As for Mother Teresa, she showed great admiration for Father Damien. Mother Teresa, who had followed a course on ambulatory health care for leprosy patients and other patients in Polambakkam, a leprosy control programme initiated by Dr Frans Hemerijckx, under the auspices of the Damien Foundation India Trust, came to Brussels in person to attend the canonization of Blessed Damien. In order to be canonised, Damien had to have performed a miracle. When the question of a miracle came up, Mother Teresa simply said, «Damien himself is a miracle».