One of an ongoing series about Blessed Damien who will reach the ranks of sainthood on Oct. 11
‘Voices of Kalaupapa’ choral work to debut at Episcopal cathedral
By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald
The premiere performance of “Voices of Kalaupapa,” a musical work commissioned by the Honolulu Symphony Chorus in honor of Father Damien de Veuster’s upcoming canonization, will be performed for the first time on May 16 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Andrew Episcopal Cathedral in Honolulu.
The work was composed by Donald Womack, who won a “call for compositions” contest to create a Damien-inspired piece. A Mayor’s Office of Culture and the Arts grant funded the composition.
Performing will be the Symphony Chorus, the Honolulu Chamber Choir, members of the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra and St. Andrew’s organist, conducted by Esther S. Yoo.
The cost for the May 16 performance is $20 ($10 for students, seniors and military).
“Voices of Kalaupapa” has seven movements which abstractly reflect on Damien’s spirituality and work with the Hansen’s disease patients on the Kalaupapa peninsula. The piece mixes spoken word with choral singing and instrumental sections and takes the audience through a range of emotions via the dramatic and meditative movements.
Womack created the work’s text with quotes from the Hawaiian Bible, the Latin Mass and Damien’s own words.
A recurring phrase in the piece is “we lepers,” which Damien used to show solidarity with the patients long before he himself contracted Hansen’s disease. Womack wrote in his description of “Voices of Kalaupapa,” that those words show Damien’s “total gift of himself,” “symbolizes the greatest potential of mankind, and carries connotations that are both bitter and triumphant, as revealed by the differing character of the music that accompanies it in each movement.”
Local scholar, writer to present Damien in saint’s own words
An evening lecture, “Blessed Damien in His Own Words,” will focus on lesser-know facets of Father Damien de Veuster’s character and spirituality. Local scholar, writer, linguist and historian, Sacred Hearts Sister Mary Dolorine Pires, will give the 7-8:30 p.m. presentation on Tuesday, May 19, at St. John Apostle and Evangelist Parish in Mililani.
Blessed Damien’s letters will be used to talk about the future saint’s inculturation, joy in service and sense of communion. As a fellow member of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Sister Mary Dolorine has particular insight into the order’s charism and how it shaped the priest’s life, particularly his devotion to the Sacred Hearts and to the Blessed Sacrament.
Sister Mary Dolorine, who has a doctorate in modern American literature, spent many years working for her congregation in Rome and has traveled widely. She has taught at Sacred Hearts Academy, where she is a Distinguished Alumna in Education, and gives frequent lectures on local Catholic topics. For more information call 623-3323.
Damien Day to be celebrated at the cathedral and capitol
Damien Day, which this year coincides with Mother’s Day, will be celebrated with a Mass at the cathedral and a ceremony at the capitol, both preceded by three nights of evening prayer.
In honor of the future saint, the nights of evening prayer will be observed in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace on May 7, 8 and 9 at 6 p.m.
On Blessed Damien de Veuster’s actual feast day, May 10, a noon Mass in the cathedral will be followed by a Damien Day ceremony at 1:30 p.m. two blocks Koko Head at the Damien statue on the state capitol grounds. The ceremony usually includes prayers, songs, hula, and the draping of leis on the statue.
Photo courtesy of St. Michael Parish
Parishioners from St. Michael, Waialua, pose for a photo at Blessed Damien’s gravesite next to St. Philomena Church in Kalawao, Molokai.
St. Michael young adults make the trip, trek to Kalaupapa
Fifty-five members of St. Michael Parish in Waialua made a three-day pilgrimage to Molokai, April 17-19, which included a stop at Kalaupapa. Sacred Hearts Father Clyde Guerreiro, pastor of topside’s Blessed Damien Parish showed the group around topside Molokai and the churches built by Father Damien — St. Joseph, Kamalo, and Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Kaluaaha where an outdoor Mass was celebrated.
The group took at day to go to Kalaupapa, some by plane, and the younger ones, including St. Michael’s associate pastor Sacred Hearts Father Johnathan Hurrell, by foot down the steep trail to the peninsula. A few intrepid members also hiked back up. The pilgrims spent the day exploring the settlement, visiting Father Damien’s grave in Kalawao, and attending Mass at St. Francis Church in Kalaupapa.
Father Hurrell, whose legs needed a few days to recover, described the trip as a “truly spirit-pain-fun-filled experience.” He said that the pilgrims prayed for fellow parishioners with cancer and other ailments while on Molokai.
St. Michael’s adult faith formation program organized the trip. With 20 people left behind on a wait list, the parish plans another visit next year.
Maui group plans pilgrimage to Italy and canonization
Maui Catholics are organizing their own 14-day Italian pilgrimage to coincide with Father Damien de Veuster’s canonization. The “Pilgrimage for Roman Catholics of Maui in Celebration of the Canonization of Blessed Father Damien of Molokai,” will be led by Bob Wills and Beth Fobbe-Wills.
The Oct. 1-14 trip will include visits to Vatican City, Rome, Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri, Amalfi, Assisi and Siena. The cost is $4,820 per person for a twin-room occupancy and the group will fly out of Maui.
The highlight of the trip will be, of course, the Oct. 11 canonization of Father Damien, but the schedule itinerary also includes explorations of Rome, an overnight visit to Assisi, a hydrofoil ride to the island of Capri, and a drive down the Amalfi coast.
For more information contact Bob Wills at 808-344-3901 or rwills@visi.com.