Hands and Hearts · Week 2 · Grades 3–5
Guided Notes: St. Damien of Molokai
- Name
- Date
- Class
Follow along as your teacher presents. Fill in each section when its slide is on the screen.
St. Damien of Molokai
From a farm to the Pacific
Jozef De Veuster was born on January 3, 1840, in the village of Tremelo, blank 1. His family were farmers, and he grew up strong from farm work.
Like his older brother, he joined a religious community called the blank 2 of the Sacred Hearts. He took a new name, Damien.
His brother was chosen to be a blank 3 in Hawaii, but became very sick. Damien asked to go in his place.
He reached Honolulu in March blank 4 and was ordained a priest there two months later.
Words to know
Write what each word means.
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Missionary | Write your answer |
| Hansen’s disease | Write your answer |
| Kalaupapa | Write your answer |
| Dignity | Write your answer |
| Canonized | Write your answer |
Sent away
In the 1800s, no one had a cure for blank 5. People were very afraid of catching it.
The government of blank 6 made a hard law. Anyone with the disease had to leave home and live on Kalaupapa, on the island of Molokai.
Tall sea cliffs and rough ocean cut the land off from everyone else. Most of the people sent there were Native Hawaiians. Families were separated.
In 1873 the bishop asked for a priest to go. Father Damien volunteered. He arrived on May blank 7, 1873.
Quick check
Why were people sent to Kalaupapa? Circle one.
- A They wanted a vacation by the sea
- B They had an illness others feared
- C They were building a new city
- D They had broken an important law
A neighbor, not a visitor
Father Damien did not keep his blank 8. He ate with the people, cleaned and bandaged their sores, and visited their homes.
Working beside them, he built houses, a better water supply and a bigger church. He made coffins and dug graves so that everyone was buried with respect. He started choirs and cared for blank 9 who had no parents.
After about eleven years, he caught the disease himself. He kept working as long as he could.
Father Damien died at blank 10 on April 15, 1889. He was 49 years old.
Quick check
What did Father Damien do when he became sick himself? Circle one.
- A He sailed home to Belgium
- B He moved to another island
- C He stopped seeing anyone
- D He kept serving his people
Draw near or push away?
Father Damien drew near to people others avoided. Sort each choice: does it draw someone near or push someone away? Check one box for each.
| Item | Draws someone near | Pushes someone away |
|---|---|---|
| Inviting a new student to sit at your lunch table | ||
| Leaving one classmate out of the group chat on purpose | ||
| Calling someone a mean name because of an illness | ||
| Asking the quiet kid to join your online game | ||
| Sharing an embarrassing photo of someone | ||
| Sending a kind message to a classmate who is home sick |
Think, pair, share
Father Damien went where people were left out and stayed with them. Who gets left out at school, in games or in group chats? What is one thing you could do about it?
Think: my idea before we talk
Sentence starters: “Someone who might feel left out is ...”“One thing I could do is ...”“It takes courage because ...”
Pair: something my partner said
Let us pray
Jesus, you never turned away from people who were sick.
Give us eyes to see who is left out and courage to draw near.
St. Damien of Molokai, pray for us.
Amen.
My own prayer or intention:
Well done!
Pope Benedict XVI canonized Father Damien on October 11, 2009. His feast day is May 10, the day he arrived at Kalaupapa.
One thing I learned today:
One question I still have:
Challenge: This week, include one person who is left out, at lunch, at recess or in an online game.