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Priest Who Lived With Leprosy Now A Saint
AP Report ^ | October 11th 2009

Posted on 10/11/2009 2:06:58 PM PDT by Steelfish

Priest Who Lived With Leprosy Now A Saint Pope Benedict praises Father Damien, who died from leprosy in 1889

Audrey Toguchi, 80, from Hawaii, at right, with her doctor Walter Chang, looks on during a canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Sunday.

VATICAN CITY - A 19th-century priest whose courageous work with leprosy patients in Hawaii has been likened to the efforts of those battling the stigma of AIDS was elevated to sainthood Sunday by Pope Benedict XVI, along with four other Catholics he hailed as heroes of holiness.

Among the 10,000 pilgrims packing St. Peter's Basilica was Hawaii resident Audrey Toguchi, an 80-year-old retired school teacher whose recovery from lung cancer a decade ago stunned her doctor and was ruled a miracle by the Vatican.

Toguchi has credited her survival to praying to Belgium-born Jozef De Veuster, also known as Father Damien, who himself died from leprosy in 1889 after contracting the disease while working with ostracized patients living on Molokai island.

Some 40,000 faithful who couldn't fit inside the vast church filled St. Peter's Square on a warm, sunny morning. Many women from Hawaii wore headpieces made of roses and large beaded necklaces over floral-print loose gowns.

Among the five Benedict added to the church's roll call of saints is French nun Jeanne Jugan, who helped the elderly, including some abandoned by their families. Jugan, also known as Marie de la Croix, was "an authentic Mother Teresa ahead of her time," Vatican Radio said. Her Little Sisters of the Poor order of nuns today runs homes for impoverished old people worldwide. She died in 1879.

‘The heroism of sanctity’ Toguchi and her doctor, Walter Chang, joined in one basilica procession, and two leprosy patients participated in another.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Hawaii
KEYWORDS: saintdamien
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To: humblegunner

My guess is that she was asking that Father Damien pray for her, that is different than praying to him. (Yes, I realize this is not what the article says, but the AP is certainly not pro-Catholic and it does not actually quote her as saying she prayed to Father Damien.)


41 posted on 10/12/2009 11:39:24 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: The Comedian
Lots of underappreciated wisdom in Metallica.

Yoda & the Lion King too, but that's a topic for another day.

42 posted on 10/12/2009 11:40:47 AM PDT by humblegunner
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To: The Comedian
LOL, excellent point!

Actually, it wasn't a point at all.

43 posted on 10/12/2009 11:40:50 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
Yes, I realize this is not what the article says, but the AP is certainly not pro-Catholic and it does not actually quote her as saying she prayed to Father Damien

OK, stipulated. It certainly implies that she says she prayed to him.

Toguchi has credited her survival to praying to Belgium-born Jozef De Veuster

Personally, if I felt compelled to pray to a non-deity I'd pick a healthier one.

44 posted on 10/12/2009 11:46:13 AM PDT by humblegunner
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To: humblegunner
It certainly implies that she says she prayed to him.

It flatly states that she did, though this doesn't mean that she said this.

Personally, if I felt compelled to pray to a non-deity I'd pick a healthier one.

I have no doubt that you would, but why?

45 posted on 10/12/2009 12:09:24 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
I have no doubt that you would, but why?

This guy died in the late 1800's. At that time much was known about contagion.

He handled lepers, got leprosy and died.

Not too bright I'd say. Patron Saint of poor choices perhaps?

46 posted on 10/12/2009 12:19:33 PM PDT by humblegunner
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To: humblegunner
This guy died in the late 1800's. At that time much was known about contagion.

Jesus Christ ministered to the lepers as well, are you suggesting that He was unaware that leprosy was contagious?

Not too bright I'd say. Patron Saint of poor choices perhaps?

I assume you would consider cowardice the wisest of choices?

47 posted on 10/12/2009 12:25:48 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
Jesus Christ ministered to the lepers as well, are you suggesting that He was unaware that leprosy was contagious?

He had the advantage of being Jesus Christ. I doubt any mortal disease could bring Him down. Don't you think so?

I assume you would consider cowardice the wisest of choices?

There you go, injecting the nastiness into a neutral discussion.
I would consider it wise not to immerse one's self into a contagious disease.

Go french kiss an AIDS victim and tell me you are wise.

48 posted on 10/12/2009 12:32:31 PM PDT by humblegunner
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To: humblegunner
Lots of underappreciated wisdom in Metallica.

Yoda & the Lion King too, but that's a topic for another day.

Let's not exclude Black Sabbath lyrics from the Hidden Significance Olympics, either. Don't even get me started on the unmitigated brilliance of The Simpsons.

OK, back to the subject of the thread...


Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

49 posted on 10/12/2009 12:37:45 PM PDT by The Comedian (Evil can only succeed if good men don't point at it and laugh.)
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To: humblegunner
He had the advantage of being Jesus Christ. I doubt any mortal disease could bring Him down. Don't you think so?

So you doubt that He was fully man? I don't think a disease would bring Him down, but I think it could.

I would consider it wise not to immerse one's self into a contagious disease.

Okay, you would consider your personal well-being ahead of those who needed to hear the Gospel.

Go french kiss an AIDS victim and tell me you are wise.

There is a difference between unnecessary risk and ministry.

50 posted on 10/12/2009 12:38:51 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: humblegunner

Well there you go. Your guy is certainly offering better rates.


51 posted on 10/12/2009 12:39:51 PM PDT by nufsed (Release the passport, school and birth records.)
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To: humblegunner
Not everyone is susceptible to catching Leprosy. There is something in your genes that says if you can catch it or not and that includes touching a leper. Father Damien was one of those that were susceptible. You may not be. AIDS does not work that way.
52 posted on 10/12/2009 12:48:34 PM PDT by fish hawk (Lord, help us to attain knowledge and the wisdom to apply it toward your ultimate will.)
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To: wagglebee
Course there is no way of telling until I get there but I would be willing to venture a guess that Albert Schweitzer is among the saints.
53 posted on 10/12/2009 12:48:39 PM PDT by mware (F-R-E-E, that spells free. Free Republic.com baby.)
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To: mware

Are “Saints” man made or does God proclaim them to be such? The Apostles called all believers Saints, in scripture.


54 posted on 10/12/2009 12:52:26 PM PDT by fish hawk (Lord, help us to attain knowledge and the wisdom to apply it toward your ultimate will.)
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To: wagglebee
I don't think a disease would bring Him down, but I think it could.

No possible way. Not part of the plan.

Okay, you would consider your personal well-being ahead of those who needed to hear the Gospel.

They could hear it at a distance, or read about it.
Do not touch lepers at play, live to preach another day.

There is a difference between unnecessary risk and ministry.

Couldn't he have stayed healthy and worked to CURE leprosy?
If he had no talent for that, then make money and fund those with research skills?

I see no appreciable virtue in throwing away one's (God given!) life mucking about with contagious lepers.

Granted, I'm not terribly compassionate.

But hanging out with lepers is an affront to good sense.

55 posted on 10/12/2009 12:53:18 PM PDT by humblegunner
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To: fish hawk
I could be wrong since I am a recent convert but everyone who is now in Heaven is technically a saint.

saints are human beings who lived holy lives in obedience to God's will and are now in heaven for eternity

56 posted on 10/12/2009 1:03:03 PM PDT by mware (QW)
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To: mware
You are partly right but Paul and other writers of the Bible call their followers and believers “saints” and they were alive and well here on Earth. In other words, YOU are a saint, according to the Bible.
57 posted on 10/12/2009 1:10:21 PM PDT by fish hawk (Lord, help us to attain knowledge and the wisdom to apply it toward your ultimate will.)
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To: fish hawk
I may be shaky on this one but I believe the third tier of communion of saints is the Church Militant,The believers on earth battling sin and the devil.

We don't become saints until after we have fought our battle.

58 posted on 10/12/2009 1:31:41 PM PDT by mware (F-R-E-E, that spells free. Free Republic.com baby.)
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To: humblegunner
No possible way. Not part of the plan.

Not part of the plan is not the same as impossible.

Couldn't he have stayed healthy and worked to CURE leprosy?

If he had no talent for that, then make money and fund those with research skills?

I believe Father Damien's calling was to work with lepers, he placed that above his own personal welfare. Mother Teresa worked with lepers for nearly half a century and never contracted leprosy.

To the best of my knowledge leprosy is treated with antibiotics and steroids, neither of which were available at the time. I do not believe that there is an actual cure for leprosy.

I see no appreciable virtue in throwing away one's (God given!) life mucking about with contagious lepers.

Granted, I'm not terribly compassionate.

But hanging out with lepers is an affront to good sense.

Read Matthew 25:31-46, throwing away one's life is a matter of perspective.

59 posted on 10/12/2009 1:46:46 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
The NIV sucks, I like the KJV better:

36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Not a word about throwing your life away among the terminally contagious though.

I do see your point however.

60 posted on 10/12/2009 1:56:48 PM PDT by humblegunner
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