Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-04-06
THE LEPERS OF MOCoKAI.


DIR Crane Tells of the Heroic Work of
the Late Father Damien.
One of the most appreciative audiences
that has ever attended a lecture given
under the auspices of the Catholic Literary
association filled the sI acious parlors of
the society last night to listen to the ad-
dress of DR. A. A. Crane ION Father
Damien and the Lepers of Molokai."
President Peter J. Luddy opened the meet
ing and gave the audience hearty well
come on behalf of the society. Father
Mulcahy was called to the chair and after
few remarks on the interesting subject
duced the speaker.
DIR Crane said be felt honored at being
called upon to address such an audience.
and as he had been informed that a large
number of those present were teachers in
the public schools he hoped they would
ask questions wherever his explanations
might not be sufficiently clear, a request
which the audience readily complied with.
and the speaker cheerfully replied to the
different questions put to him in relation
to the manners and customs of the people
of that country. DR. Crane first told of the
visit of some Spanish ships to the islands
in 1850 and of Captain Cooks discovery OF
the place in ITS. Then followed q very
customs of the natives and their modes of
living. The first ministers that entered
the islands with view to converting the
natives to the christian faith were sent
there from this country by one of the
| Protestant societies in 1920. In 1927 the
Catholics entered the field. The latter
| had to contend with the bitter religious
feeling that existed against them on the part
of those who had preceded them and were
driven from the place twice between that
| time and 1887, whep the French govern
ment sent a frigate to Honolulu and COM
PEELED King Kamehameha to declare re-
| ligious freedom. Since then the Catholic
church has been most active, and keeps
vigorous missionary work with her men
posted right among the people, speaking
their language, knowing the individuals
and acquiring the confidence and affection
of the native families, as did the Protest
| ant missionaries of 1920, but is not the
practice of the latter now.
| The speaker told of the Introduction of
leprosy into the islands in 1868 and the
action of the government in deciding to
Danish all people afflicted with the disease
to Molokai. Here they were doomed to
live while life should last; here they were
doomed to die. This feeling of complete
despair naturally had the very worst effect
on their state. With scarcely anything they
could call home, almost destitute of
clothing and only able to obtain the bare
necessities Ct life, all crushed down by the
weight of their loathsome disease, they in
many cases gave themselves up to all the
depravity that can be found among those
whom poverty has reduced to the lowest
depths of misery and squalor.
| Father Damien was about thirty years
of age when he volunteered to enter the
leper settlement The buoyancy of youth
was in his step and the flush of youth in
his cheek. Aggravated by the misery in
which they lived the leprosy was increas
ing every day and the press of the kingdom
began to speak boldly of the need of doing
something towards relieving the horrible
condition of the people.
| Speaking on this matter short time
prior to the arrival of Father Damien at
noble christian priest, preacher or sister
should be inspired to go and sacrifice a
life to console these poor wretches, that
would be a royal soul to shine forever on a
| throne reared by human sacrifice" A few
| days later the same paper announced that
| the hero had been found, that a Belgian
priest had been left ashore among the
| lepers without a home or change of cloth
ing except such as the lepers had to offer
1t did not care what the mans theology
might be, he was surely christian hero.
| The speaker then gave graphic history
| of the life and labors of Father Damien
bringing the subject down to the time of
the martyrs death in 1889 He exhibited
several views of the grave of FathSr
Damien and the church and convent
which he caused to be erected; also great
variety of ancient relics and other things
pertaining to the history of Hawaii