The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-11-19
Father Damien's Brother Goes
to Molokai.
PROFESSOR AT LOUVAIN.
Age Nor III Health Can Deter Him.
To Succeed Father Conrady - \
Learned Man Responds to the Call
of Duty Other Missionaries.

Father Damien's brother is in San
Francisco. Like the heroic apostle of
the lepers, Father Pamphile is a
priest, and, like him, he goes to Ha-
wall to labor among the outcasts of
MOlokai; perhaps, too, like him, de-
voted to death, says the S. f. Chroni-
Gle of November 5th.
Father Pamphlets coming was un-
announced, and his departure by the
steamer on Saturday will be equally
unOstentatious. His is not the ardor
of youth, for he is a man close on to
three score years. He enters upon his
work humbly and submissively, in
obedience to the voice of duty. Twice
before the call came, but in neither
instance would his health permit the
journey. The third came, and, not
withstanding his age, he Obeyed.
Like Bishop Ropert, the Vicar
General of Honolulu, and lifelong
friend and co-worker of Father Da-
mien, the new missionary is a mem
Der of the order of the Sacred Heart.
When, therefore, he was asked to take
the burden of which death released
his brother, Father Pamphile hesit-
ated not. He laid aside his cherished
books and left the famous college in
which the best years of his life had
been spent in study and teaching to
go forth to the succor of the miserable
denizens of Molokai.
The new apostle of the lepers is 8
Belgian, So years of age. He is small
in stature, his hair is white, and his
face is a combination OF force and
benevolence. In him the priest and
the professor are happily blended.
He cares not to speak of himself, and
when asked of his mission, simply
responded that he had been asked to
undertake it, that 1t was his duty to
obey, and that be goes with the de-
sire of doing whatever good may lie
in his power. The family name of
Father Pamphile is Venster. He is
graduate of the University of Lou
vain, and has served there as pro-
fessor of theology all of his life, ex-
cept two years, during which time he
occupied a similar position in the
| Seminary of Versailles. In addi-
tion to being a Hebrew, Greek and
! Latin scholar he possesses a good
conversational power of the English
tongue, so that he will be able to de-
vote himself to his work from the
start. The Catholic lepers of MolOkai,
among whom he goes TO labor, num-
| Der about 200, and at present are cared
| for by Father VanderliD Muller and
Father Louis COnrardy, as well as by
number of self-sacrificing sisters.
| Father Pamphile will take the place
of Father COnrardy. He is one of a
mum Der of priests. brothers and sisters
who are on their way from Europe to
| the Hawaiian sands, some to engage
in educational work and others To care
for the temporal and spiritual needs of
the lepers. Their mission comes about
! in this way: Six months ago w. o.
Smith, the President of the Homo
| lulu Board of Health, requested
Bishop ROpert to Obtain additional
members of his order, promising that
| the Government would pay the cost
of their travelling expenses. He ac-
cOrdingly went to Europe, and is now
on his way home with the party. In
it are Father Pamphile and Brothers
| Dominique, SEVERN, Sylvan and
! Seraphion, who are all destined for
| leper service; Father Sylvester Step
pers and the sub deacon, Alois, who
are to be stationed at Honolulu, and
Sisters Alexandrine, LeOcardia, Jeanne
and COnstantienne. The ma jOrity are
| French, but among them are Belgians,
Germans and Dutch.
| While in Europe Bishop Ropert, or
| the Bishop of Panoplis, as he is known
! in Honolulu, had an audience of
| twenty minutes with the Pope. He
says that while Leo XIII's frame is
| fragile, he shows no sign Of illness,
and that hisrintelligence is keen and
| his memory a. perfect as that of men
many years his junior.