Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-09-01
|FATHERDAMIENS
'CO-LABORER With
LEPERSIS DEAD
Father Wendeiin Passes Away
After Long Ministry to Suf-
ferinq and Poor

After q prctracted sickness. Father
| WenGei.n MoelIeT. a highly esteeme
member Of the Catholic Mission. died
! at the parish house today about II
! O'Clock.
He had been suffering for over a
year from V hat first was thought 10
/ be asthma, but what soCn was resog-
nized as a serious disease of the heart.
However. it was only since the begin
ming Of February Of this year that
repeated attacks forced the Jealous
missioner to give up priestly minis
ftrations Toward the middle Of April
all hope of even a temporary recov,
cry had to be given up, and the end
was daily expected. and ardently de.
sired by the patient, for whom death
seemed TO have no horrors. Il.
Father Wendelin was born at Duel.
men, Westphalen. Germany, On the
21st of March. 1850. At the termina.
ton of bis humanitary studies, feeling
A calling to missionary life, he left
his country for. France. as Germany
was then in the clutches of the Kul
turkamuf and offered but little onDor.
tunitv for the following of religious
vacations. ."~<..... -.
At Paris the young Robert MoelleI
entered the Congregation of the Sa-
cred Hearts where in conformity with
the mCnastic custom he changed his
name tn that Of Wendelin He made
his religious vows on November 10
1878. and was ordained a priest at
Paris On Nav rs. 1877. Three weeks
letter be embarked for the Narquesas,
where he arrived on august Is. Short
w afterward he was given charge OF
Puamau. q missionary district of the
island Of Hiva-oa. but after a STAY OF
only six weeks he was transferred to
the island of Tahuata. On approach
ing the mission residence at Vaitahu
he found IL occupied bv a multitude
CT refugees. The inhabitants of two
valleys were Just then engaged in
internec:ne warfare.
Father Emmersn Schultz, however,
the same who died on Molokai in
1912, and had accompanied Father
Wendelin to Tahuata to install him in
his new post, succeeded in making
peace between the warning factions.
Toward the end of 1884 the French
government began to look askance at
the presence of German missionaries
in its colonies and the ecclesiastical
authorities were required to send
them away. In consequence Fathers
Emmeran. Anschaire end Wendelin
were sent to Hawaii where they ar.
rived February 9. 1885.
Father Wendelin's first mission in
this group was at Heeia. Oahu. He
remained in charge Of the district of
Kcclau until the approaching end OF
Father Damien made it imperative
to send another priest to the leper
settlement. Father Wendelin arrived
at Molckai On November 20. 1893. and
exercised the ministry among the len,
ers ever since for nearly IA years On
account of serious frictions between
himself and the board of health. which
at that time caused considerable com.
motion at Honolulu, the Father asked
his suneriors to be removed, and hav.
ing left the settlement on September
%, 1902, to attend the spiritual exer.
c'ses at Honolulu. he returned to the
island a fortnight later to take charge
CT the mission work outside of the
settlement. Afterward the districts
Of Makawso, Lahaina and Hilo were
successfully entrusted to his care. In
the latter place he remained from the