Experience Father Damien Tours in Hawaii!
Father Damien Tours takes you on a spiritual adventure that will make you feel as if Father Damien himself is standing beside you. Our tour is a celebration of Father Damien’s life and his commitment to those suffering from leprosy during the late 1800s’, and the recognition the Catholic Church has bestowed upon him with his being canonized in October 2009.
Father Damien Tours will fly you to Kalaupapa, Molokai in executive style, in a private charter aircraft. From there you will take a tour of the island, Hawaiian style, and walk in the footprints of the Blessed Father Damien. Your tour guides have a rich knowledge of the history and life of Father Damien and the people he helped.
The entire trip is an enlightening and emotional experience. The dramatic scenery of Kalawao is breath taking and the simplicity of the church and it’s setting, inspiring. It is therefore easy to get caught up in the story of Father Damien and his cause, which in the end was his demise.
HISTORYKalawao was originally a Hawaiian fishing village. The local people assisted the sick until the Hawaiian Government labeled it a leper colony and forbade any unauthorized persons from visiting. The Kalawao site is ideal for this purpose because it is a peninsula surrounded by the highest sea cliffs in the world, 3’600 ft high. There is only one path down onto the peninsula; otherwise a boat was the only other way into the colony. Nowadays we use airplanes.
When Father Damien initially came to Kalawao from Belgium he was supposed to stay for 3 months only. He was regarded with fear and mistrust by the residents of the leper community but he embraced their customs, he ate with them, he worked with them to build homes and he nursed the sick. He also sent for materials and medical aid from the islands and built a hospital for the chronically ill. Furthermore he restored their sense of self-respect.
During the last 6 years of his life Father Damien suffered from the sickness he was trying so hard to eliminate. However due to several miracles being associated with The Blessed Father Damien, Pope Benedict XVI Canonized him on October 11, 2009.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
- Ground tour of historic Kalaupapa, Molokai and Kalawao with our knowledgeable historians
- Opportunity to take photos of the Halawa Valley. These are the tallest sea cliffs in the world
- Visit the home of Father Damien, where he devoted his life to those suffering from Hansen's disease
- Also visit the home Mother Marianne, who continued Father Damien's work after he had died
- Fully escorted and narrated tour