Thinking, Talking, and Praying
Saint Damien: The Heart and Hands of Jesus
Father Damien of Molokai lived out the love of Jesus by giving his life for exiled leprosy patients on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai. He truly became the hands and feet of Christ by touching, nursing, and living among the lepers. Born on January 3, 1840, in rural Belgium, Jozef De Veuster entered the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and took the name Damien.
His compassionate ministry inspired the name of Sacred Heart’s gathering center. The name Damien, meaning “to tame,” “to subdue,” or “to master,” reflects Father Damien’s obedience and service to the vulnerable. His life and legacy resonates with our mission statement here at Sacred Heart Parish.
Our Mission Statement describes Sacred Heart as a “welcoming and diverse community rooted in our Catholic Faith and rich heritage.” St. Damien was shaped by that same Belgian heritage, yet it propelled him far beyond familiar boundaries to the mission fields of Hawaii. Likewise, Sacred Heart grew from its beginnings as an ethnic Belgian parish into the diverse community that now serves Moline. St. Damien teaches that a parish rooted in heritage does not remain inward-looking; it reaches toward the “edges” where people are most alone.
At Sacred Heart, everything flows from the altar. On Molokai, the Eucharist was the center of St. Damien’s life. Through daily Mass and adoration, he learned to see the afflicted bodies of those with leprosy as the wounded Body of Christ. If the church is where we receive Christ, the St. Damien Center is where we become Christ for others. It extends worship into daily life - where we gather, share, lament, rejoice, and serve - echoing Damien’s journey from the sanctuary to the streets of Kalaupapa.
St. Damien’s most powerful sermon was his choice to live among the exiled lepers, learning their names, sharing their food, and eventually saying “we lepers” after contracting the disease himself. Sacred Heart embodies his spirit of relational evangelization. Rather than relying solely on programs, we prioritize relationships. Our gathering center is a “school of evangelization,” where a simple conversation over coffee and doughnuts becomes an opportunity to welcome the undecided, the elderly, and those who have never felt at home within a church.
Our mission statement calls us to build the Kingdom of Jesus in this time and place. Like St. Damien, we strive to build homes, improve relationships, and transform broken hearts into hope. In Moline, the faces of the “outcast” may differ from Damien’s days, but our mission is the same. Whether serving the hungry, assisting migrant families, or visiting the homebound and elderly, we continue Father Damien’s legacy.
The St. Damien Center, with its accessible facilities, serves as an outreach to youth and adults, reflecting our commitment to the future. The name Damien is an honor and challenges us daily to risk crossing boundaries to become a living sign of Christ for the vulnerable in Moline and beyond. God’s Kingdom is built when we stand close to those society overlooks.
Remain Blessed,
Rev. Fr. Matthew Abu B. Cole, SMA,
Parochial Vicar