St. 莫洛凯岛的达米安

St. 莫洛凯岛的达米安

约瑟夫·德·维斯特, 世人皆知的达米恩神父, 你是1月3日出生的吗, 1840, 在Tremeloo, (离鲁汶不远)比利时. 2月2日, 1859, he followed in the footsteps of his brother Pamphile by entering 圣心会 of Jesus and Mary; and on October 7, 1860, he made his religious profession choosing the name of 达明.

莫洛凯岛

When 达明 first arrived on the Island of 莫洛凯岛 on May 10, 1873, 这种情况, 用罗伯特·路易斯·史蒂文森的话来说, 是, 一个可怜的地方，一个地狱般的住所.” Lepers were sent there to rot and die, and no attempt 是 made to cure or arrest the disease. 麻风病人是社会的弃儿, 与他们所爱的人分离, suffering from a disease considered loathsome and unclean, 几乎被医学界抛弃了, and without even the comfort of any but the most infrequent religious services. 他们很容易屈服于冷漠和绝望. 许多, 沮丧到绝望的地步, seized upon anything that would give them a moment's surcease - alcohol, 赌博, 淫荡的跳舞, and debauchery - and their cry of welcome as boatload after boatload of new patients arrived, 是, “在这个地方没有法律.” 达明 wrote, “The Settlement absolutely has to have a priest . . . 我认为奉献自己是我的责任 . . . 我愿意为麻风病患者奉献我的生命. 病人乘船来了. 他们成群结队地死去 . . . I become a leper with lepers, in order to win them all for Jesus Christ. 当我讲道时，我习惯说:“我们麻风病人!"

For sixteen years - from 1873 to 1889 - Father 达明 ministered to the lepers, bringing as much material and spiritual comfort to them as he could. His self-imposed duties included anything that would help or comfort them, 从包扎伤口, 做棺材, 从挖坟墓到建教堂, 听到忏悔, 做弥撒. He went to considerable trouble in making a much-needed fresh-water supply available for the settlement. 他用普通的碗吃饭, 麻风病人准备的食物, smoked the common pipe passed from mouth to mouth and used tools which were commonly owned. 的确如此，用圣. 保罗说:“一切都归众人.”

“From morning till night,” he wrote, “I am surrounded by terrible physical and moral miseries. However, I try to have a certain gaiety to build their courage.“在这方面的努力，他当然是成功的. The presence of this concerned and good-natured priest completely changed the atmosphere of the settlement. The poor people quickly sensed that they had a true friend. 他们不再是孤儿了. 一股希望的浪潮席卷了整个殖民地. They were no longer those who society had conveniently chosen to forget, because 达明 has opened the eyes of the world to the needs and sufferings of millions of lepers and had thereby stirred many to the generous support of work on their behalf.

圣餐的使徒

达米安神父真是圣餐的传道者. This love he had for the Eucharist 是 transmitted to the lepers. He brought them to closer union with their Maker through the beautiful liturgies he organized, 频繁的祝福, 和圣体游行.

It 是 when he set up numerous adoration chapels that he experienced the depth of the lepers' faith and devotion. Related to the establishment of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration on the island, 达米安神父于1888年写信给他的省, “这是我们第十五年举行夜拜...我们都是麻风病人."

达米安神父为圣餐而活. It 是 this strong apostleship that filled the lives of the lepers. Their Eucharistic adoration 是 an edifying homage to the Lord. 他写信给他的兄弟, “没有我们神圣导师的持续存在, I would never be able to cast my lot with that of the lepers."

死亡