Coffee & Saints

Born: January 3, 1840, Tremelo, Belgium
Died: April 15, 1889, Molokai, Hawaii [U.S.]

What I appreciate about St. Damien of Molokai:
He recognized the inherent dignity in each person he met, especially those suffering from leprosy who were sent away from society out of fear, and he showed them that they were still deserving of love.

Coffee Order:
I picture Saint Damien of Molokai choosing an espresso as we chat.

The Saints have each taken the road less traveled: holiness and total reliance on God. For the Saint that I would like to have coffee with today; he certainly chose a less glamorous lifestyle. Saint Damien of Molokai chose to serve the people who were thought to be the lowest of low, fully separated from the rest of society.

Saint Damien recognized something in the lepers whom he served that many people did not: inherent dignity. God created every human being; therefore, every single person we meet has been made in the image and likeness of God. No matter what they do, suffer from, or face; they each have dignity and deserve to be treated as such.

For our coffee meeting, I think that Saint Damien would choose a modern, no frills coffee shop in the heart of a city. In his lifetime he proved time and again that he longed to serve people and therefore he liked to be around them, hearing their stories. To me, he was the type of person who would stand at the counter and ask the barista, “How are you?” and actually mean the words. He would listen to their answer, not just try to make idle conversation as he waited for his order.

While I do not know much about his parents, they must have done something right because Damien (born Joseph) and his brother both became priests! His parents were at first hesitant when Joseph approached them with his desire to enter the priesthood instead of marriage. His father owned a business and was fully planning for Joseph to take this over once he retired. It must have been difficult to realize that neither son would be doing that; however, I also have to believe that his father was proud to see his sons following God’s Will for their lives.

I can see the kind smile on Damien’s face as he talks about his experience of becoming a priest. To have his brother in the same vocation must have been very unique. His older brother would have been a great person for him to talk to and ask questions since they had so much in common. I feel that this strengthened their relationship.

At first, Father Damien’s brother, Phamphile, was meant to travel to Hawaii to care for the lepers in Molokai. But he became ill and was unable to make the trip. Father Damien approached the Superior General to be allowed to go instead. Did his brother ask him to take his place or was this Damien’s idea? No matter how it came about, Father Damien was granted permission and traveled to Molokai where the leper colony was established to keep them separated from the rest of society.

What was that first moment like when Father Damien entered the colony? He would have been faced with the realization of how devastating the disease really was. People would have been sick and dying and feeling utterly alone. Everyone they knew had turned their backs on them in fear, leaving them to suffer on an island waiting for death.

And then this young priest shows up, fully healthy. Were the people skittish at first? All they knew was shame, so they must have been scared when they met him. I can picture some of them scared to go too close, begging him not to touch them lest they give him the disease. And yet, Father Damien longed to live like Jesus did in the Gospels. Jesus did not turn away from the sick and dying, He instead cared for them and showed them love and support. Father Damien was determined to show these people that they mattered and were very much loved.

This man brought hope, and I can picture the determination in his eyes as he tells me over espresso how every single person matters, no matter race or religion. They all deserve to be treated with love. The people on the island were welcomed into his love as he spiritually cared for them. He wrote that he was given the graces to do this work through receiving the Eucharist every single day as this is the Source and Summit of our faith.

What Saint Damien of Molokai brought to the lepers living in Hawaii was priceless: he brought them a reason to live. I can see the smile on his face as he talks about witnessing the moment of joy break across each person’s face when they finally felt loved once again. He longed for them to recognize the dignity that the world had tried to rip away from them.

“We, lepers” was one of the final homilies spoken by Father Damien as he too contracted the disease of leprosy while caring for these people. A human response would have been fear; but I also know that he would have worn it like a badge of honor. So many of the people living in the colony must have felt saddened at first to know that they had given him their disease, but Father Damien was happy to be connected to them in this special way, giving him new empathy. Furthermore, this would have helped the people to connect with him too as he truly knew how they were feeling. Yes, this does not take away the pain; however, it does help form a special bond.

While sitting in a coffee shop with Saint Damien of Molokai, I picture his kindness more than anything. As someone who worked so hard to help people feel welcome, I think that he would tell me his own story; however, he would also ask me about my own life. He would actually listen to my story, wanting to make sure that I was heard. I long to be this type of person in my own life, and I pray that I am succeeding in this.

Saint Damien of Molokai loved the least in society as though they were the greatest. May each of us think about the people in our own lives who we recognize do not feel seen or heard, and pray for them. To take it a step further, may we reach out to them. Sometimes it is so easy to think about a person who we know is in pain and leave it at that; however, I challenge all of us (myself included!) to actually reach out to them.

Prayer:
Saint Damien of Molokai, you took your brother’s spot and ended up caring for the people who society had turned their backs on. You entered the island of death and decay and chose not to see the people as “lepers” but as children of God. Your love and devotion brought hope to humans who felt as though they had nothing left to live for. Please pray for each one of us to see people as children of God, our brothers and sisters. Those who we encounter who are lonely or hurting, those who have done something wrong, those who are different from us – may we see their inherent dignity and bring Christ to them in our words and actions. Amen.

I hope you enjoyed learning about this Saint! The artwork above was created using AI and my own imagination – this is how I picture what it would be like to sit with Saint Damien of Molokai in a coffeeshop today. I would love for you to share your own thoughts in the comments. How do you picture Saint Damien of Molokai? What do you think he would have ordered at a coffee shop? Let me know below!

Cheers! ☕
Maggie