HCH photo by Catherine Cluett

Thirty-five members of the international Catholic missionary movement Heart’s Home gather after Mass in front of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows in Kaluaaha, one of the churches St. Damien built on topside Molokai.

A spiritual homecoming

A worldwide missionary movement, inspired for years by Father Damien, finally arrives on Molokai

By Catherine Cluett | Special to the Herald

KAUNAKAKAI, Molokai

For more than 15 years, French priests in a group called the Fraternity of Molokai have dedicated their lives to the spirit of Father Damien, but the place that made him a saint had been unknown to them. That all changed several weeks ago, when a trip to Molokai marked a spiritual homecoming for the order.

The priests were part of a group of 35, including nuns and lay people, from an international Catholic movement called Heart’s Home, which has nearly 400 members worldwide. They came to Molokai to learn about St. Damien, his life, his mission and the people he served, all of which inspire their own missions around the globe.

The weeklong trip, Aug. 8-15, was spurred by St. Damien’s canonization last October, as well as Heart’s Home’s 20th anniversary this year.

The movement is based in France where it was founded in 1990 by Father Thierry de Roucy, a priest of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus and Mary.

His idea was to have lay persons open “houses of compassion” — homes of the heart — in impoverished places around the world. The homes would be simple communities of prayer, hospitality and joyful service.

About five years later, Father de Roucy started a priestly branch of the group, calling it the Fraternity of Molokai. The name, he said, came in a flash of inspiration while he was in Senegal. He chose Father Damien as a patron because of the saintly priest’s “desire to live exactly the same life” as the people he served.

But instead of calling it the Fraternity of Damien, Father de Roucy decided instead to name it after the place where Damien labored, in homage to the people to whom he gave his life.

“We believe that Father Damien became a saint because of the people of Molokai,” he explained.

The fraternity today has about 30 priests and seminarians. Heart’s Home has 45 centers in 22 countries.

Sylvie Muller, a lay-consecrated member who made the journey to Molokai, began at Heart’s Home as a volunteer sent to serve in Argentina more than 10 years ago. Today, her mission is in Brooklyn, N.Y., where she serves the city’s elderly, underprivileged and home-bound. She said the work is often difficult, but she is inspired by St. Damien’s closeness to his people and his great love for them.

“You don’t know how I was longing to be closer to Damien and follow in his footsteps,” Muller said. St. Damien “gives meaning to what I do and what I am.”

Living the aloha spirit

During their “theological vacation,” the Heart’s Home pilgrims stayed at Pu‘u O Hoku Ranch on Molokai’s pastoral east end. In the homey, commodious rooms of the ranch, they listened to lectures about St. Damien’s life and work on Molokai, learned about the history and culture of the island, prayed and celebrated Mass and enjoyed the tranquil landscape, whose Hawaiian name means “Hill of the Stars.”

“The aloha spirit is so beautiful,” said Father Gonzague Leroux, one of the 10 fraternity priests who made the trip, and spokesman for the group. “We carry the same spirit all around the world.”

On the third day of their visit, the group visited Kalaupapa and celebrated Eucharist in St. Philomena, Father Damien’s church at the original Kalawao settlement.

“It was so special to see where he became a saint,” said Deacon Edward De Grivel.

Muller was particularly impressed by the practical lengths St. Damien went to ease the discomfort of his sick flock.

“He even made holes in the church floor for them to spit,” she said.

Many described the “physically impressive” landscape of the peninsula, which is cut off from the rest of the island by the highest sea cliffs in the world.

“You can see how it became like a prison,” said Laetitia Palluat, a permanent member working in Brooklyn. “It’s a lot of emotion to be here.”

Three young lay members professed vows of poverty, chastity and obedience during a special Mass on Aug. 14 at Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, one of the churches St. Damien built on topside Molokai.

They chose to make their consecrations far from home and family because of Molokai’s spiritual significance.

“When they proposed the Molokai trip, I thought, ‘It’s a gift,’” said Alexander Descours, one of the newly professed. “It’s unbelievable [to take vows in St. Damien’s home].”

In his homily during the Mass of profession, Father de Roucy offered words of wisdom. “All that you have, all that you are, is for others,” he said. “The fruits of your life are hidden — often, we’re not aware of them.”

Growth into four branches

There are four branches of Heart’s Home: the priests of the Molokai Fraternity; religious sisters who are called the Servants of God’s Presence; permanent, or lay-consecrated, members who take vows for life; and the St. Maximilian Kolbe Fraternities, lay people who live with their families and pursue their professions while living Heart’s Home mission and upholding certain commitments.

St. Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who gave his life at Auschwitz, the Nazi concentration camp, to save a stranger. His Aug. 14 feast day was celebrated while the group was on Molokai.

Those on the pilgrimage were French or Swiss, and the Masses, lectures and formal functions were spoken in French. But other languages and cultures, representing the diverse countries where Heart’s Home serves, showed their influence. Mass on Saturday opened with a South American hymn, accompanied by guitar and drums, from a songbook specially compiled for the trip.

Heart’s Home missions are not short-term assignments, explained Father Jacques Bagnoud, who spent seven years in India. Fourteen months is normally a minimum.

The assignment humbles the missionaries by placing them at a lower status than the people they serve, said Father Bagnoud, because they must depend on the people to learn the language and culture.

It’s not always easy to keep going, Muller said. “Sometimes you just want to get out.”

“You’re taking an elevator with someone who smells so bad, and you’re praying they get off at the next floor,” she admitted. “But you smile and say hello, and when they get off the elevator, they have a smile on their face, too. You made their day and gave them dignity.”

“We learn to eat as they eat, sing as they sing,” said Sister Pascale Della Santa of the Servants of God’s Presence.

Sister Pascale is a medical doctor. In addition to helping the less fortunate, she uses her professional income to support Heart’s Home. Volunteer and permanent members alike are responsible for finding sponsors to support their missions. Financial sponsors send money while spiritual sponsors support them by praying the rosary daily.

Many of the Molokai visitors financed their trip with small jobs. Muller made and sold jam for more than six months to raise enough money.

While it took the group 20 years to visit Molokai for the first time, Fathers de Roucy and Leroux said they are already looking forward to a second Hawaiian retreat.