Molkai The Story of Father Damien by Hilde Eynikel

Damien De Veuster sacrificed himself for exiled lepers on Molokai, but there is a lot more to his life. He was a rebel when it came to helping his afflicted flock. Helping ment, to him, creating as normal a life as possible in the asylum and demanding basic human rights for the community. He actively sought both a spiritual and a medical cure for leprosy and palliative care can be traced back to him in origin. He realised that he would not gain the confidence of the lepers unless he risked contagion. This aroused intense hatred from his church authorities who felt he was breaking too many taboos but Damien,when grossly disfigured from the leprosy which inevitably killed him, continued to work all the time for needs of his people. He never lost his commitment or his sense of humour.This new biography, containing as yet undisclosed material, makes a dramatic and fascinating story.