More than 8,000 people, mostly Native Hawaiians, perished at Kalaupapa, including Damien, who eventually contracted leprosy, later called Hansen’s disease.
Damien’s love for Kalaupapa’s people was unconditional, said Barbara Jean Wajda of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities.
“They keep me like this, make me strong.”She enjoys when people visit and when the church brings pilgrims, she said.
The walls of the sisters' house, Kalaupapa’s largest dwelling, are filled with photos of the sisters who worked on the settlement after Marianne.
“And we both feel connected to the patients, to the land, to the saints who were here, declared and undeclared,” Wajda said.
Persons:
Saint Damien of Molokai, Kalaupapa’s, Damien’s, ”, Lance Toyofuku, ” Kalaupapa, Father Damien, Mother Marianne —, Alicia Damien Lau, Damien, Joseph De Veuster, Saint Marianne, Patrick Killilea, “ Fr, Paddy, “ It’s, Philomena, Barbara Jean Wajda, Francis, Lau, ” Marianne Cope, Marianne, Tonata Lolesio, ” Lolesio, “, Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva’s, Silva, didn’t, that’s, Wajda, Francis Church, she’s, Watanuki, ” Bishop Silva, ” Keani Rawlins, Fernandez, Mother Marianne, Marianne . Lau, Alicia, ” Wajda, ” They’ve
Organizations:
Toyota, National Park Service, St, Neumann, Sacred Hearts School, Honolulu Bishop, “, Associated Press, Maui County Council, Lilly Endowment Inc, AP
Locations:
KALAUPAPA, Hawaii, Kalaupapa, Molokai, Belgian, Hawaii’s, Honolulu, Belgium, Germany, Maui, Lahaina, American Samoa, Maui County