145 years ago today - May 30, 1873

Catholic Father Damien [Joseph de Veuster] begins his ministry at the leper colony of Molokai, Hawaii, five months after equally self-sacrificing Johnathon Napela, president of the LDS branch. Napela, who does not have the disease, accompanies his wife Kitty who is required to live there because of her leprosy. Jonathon contracts the disease in 1877, and dies in 1879, followed by Kitty in 1881. Father Damien dies of leprosy in 1889.

[Source: The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please Enter your Comment: