Call me a lapsed catholic all you like, but I hear October in Italy is beautiful.

The pope presided over a feb 21 conistory that gave final approval! Wooohoooo!

Damien will be cannonized by Pope Bene XVI on October 11 at the Vatican. How good that must be for the few patients to see the day. Oh if only Richard Marks had lived to see the day.

I think I will mark this as a trip report, since he is on a trip to Sainthood! Way to go Father!!! Way to go!

ohh. I thought from your title that he was going to be on Conan!

Seriously, it is a great honor and I'm happy to see this happen. I'm not a catholic, but Father Damien was an extraordinary man, especially when you consider the time in which he served.

Well thank goodness someone I admire saw that typo first......oh to have that edit function. Editors could you spot me an 'a'

More on Richard...

http://www.themolokaidispatch.com/node/2820

"I was thinking of that old Hawaiian proverb ‘Kulu ka waimaka, uwe ka `opua – the tears fall, the clouds weep.’ When the rains fall with such force at the time of a person’s death, the Gods are mingling their tears with the tears of the mourners.”

Well, if anybody deserves it, it is Father Damien. What a truly unselfish man.

I am so happy..I hope that I will be able to be in Rome at that time.
What a brave, caring ,extraordinary man Father Damienmust have been!!

I haven't the foggiest idea who this Father Damien bloke is, or was, but it seems a bit rough to "cannonize" his remains. Can't they buried in the usual way?

"Well, if anybody deserves it, it is Father Damien. What a truly unselfish man."

You don't get to be canonised just for being a nice guy or doing good works. As I understand it you have to rack up a few miracles - you know, make the lame walk, cure a leper, that sort of thing. That's no more than medieval superstition and doesn't belong in an educated modern community.

Father Damien was a missionary who helped the lepers on Molokai and eventually died of the disease himself.

According to Wikipedia:

His role was not limited to being a priest: he dressed ulcers, built homes and beds, built coffins and dug graves.

Damien's arrival is seen by some as a turning point for the community. Under his leadership, basic laws were enforced, shacks became painted houses, working farms were organized and schools were erected.

gyppie, thank you for posting this. I have been following this story but missed the news. Thanks, also, for the link about Richard Marks.

Betty, thank you for the info about Father Damien. It has been confirmed by the Catholic Church that he has been credited with at least two miracles. Here's the wiki link if you ant to know more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Damien

mamalou is considering making the journey to the vatican for this event

There was a movie about him in 1999 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165196/

gyppie, you gonna go with mama?

iamq, would you want to be responsible for the Vatican burning down?

but perhaps!!!

They allowed Marteen and me, didn't they? A few blocks of marble shifted a bit when we walked by, but it's still standing.

Hey gyppie- I see your title has been edited. Was that you or did Katie do that?? please share!!

I was going to ask what the church did when they had 2 saints with the same name. But now I see Damien is spelled differently than St. Damian of Cosmos and Damien.