Chapter Nine: Damien (Joseph) de Veuster

Question 1

leprosy

Answer 1

a chronic infectious disease affecting especially the skin and nerves - characterized by the formation of nodules that enlarge and spread and accompanied by loss of sensation with eventual paralysis, wasting of muscle , and deformities; Hansen’s disease

Question 2

epitome

Answer 2

an ideal example

Question 3

insubordinate

Answer 3

disobedient to authority

Question 4

mollified

Answer 4

to soothe in temper; to reduce in intensity

Question 5

tubercles

Answer 5

a small knobby prominence; an abnormal lump

Question 6

truncated

Answer 6

cut short

Question 7

haole

Answer 7

a person not descended from the aboriginal Polynesian inhabitants of Hawaii

Question 8

poi

Answer 8

a Hawaiian food prepared from the cooked roots of taro that war mashed with water to consistency of a paste and often allowed to ferment

Question 9

ubiquity

Answer 9

presence everywhere or in many places especially simultaneously

Question 10

fetid

Answer 10

having a heavy offensive smell

Question 11

ascendant

Answer 11

a position of dominant power or importance

Question 12

subsistence

Answer 12

the minimum necessary to support life

Question 13

breviary

Answer 13

a book of prayers, hymns, psalms, and readings for the canonical hours

Question 14

What was believed to be the cause of leprosy during Biblical times?

Answer 14

moral failure or disobedience to God

Question 15

Why did Fr.Damien believe the Sacred Heart would NOT be a good fit for him?

Answer 15

He believed the educational requirements would be too vigorous given his little education, and he was not inclined towards contemplation.

Question 16

Why was Damien allowed to go to Hawaii at the age of 23 prior to his ordination?

Answer 16

His older brother was supposed to go to Hawaii, however, he became sick with typhus. Damien wrote to the congregation’s father general asking permission to go and was granted his request

Question 17

What did Fr.Damien liken the Hawaiian landscape created by the still active Kilauea volcano to?

Answer 17

Hell

Question 18

Describe Fr.Damien’s life on the island of Hawaii.

Answer 18

He served as a parish priest, traveling extensively to his parishioners. He also worked a farm and physically built several churches.

Question 19

How did Fr.Damien describe leprosy?

Answer 19

In Fr.Damien’s words, “Leprosy…shows itself first in blackish spots on the skin, especially on the cheeks. In these spots there is no more feeling. After a time, the whole body is covered. Then the sores start, especially on the hands and feet. The toes and fingers are eaten away and give off a fetid odor. Their breath also poisons the air.”

Question 20

How was the island of Molokai divided?

Answer 20

On a plateau, white ranchers owned valuable plantations. Separated by cliffs, the leper colony was segregated below.

Question 21

What is the current status of leprosy (Hansen’s disease)?

Answer 21

Leprosy is a controllable disease with a known cure and fewer than 250,00 diagnoses annually. Most cases are in India, Brazil, and Indonesia. Segregation is no longer part of the treatment plan.