Damien
Sunday, October 1st, 1:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church
About the Play
Damien is a one-man play, roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes in length. St. Damien (or Fr. Damien) was born in Belgium, and has been the patron saint of our recent fundraising efforts. To celebrate the opening of our Gathering Center, and continue to cover the costs of construction, we have sponsored this play and raffle for parishioners to enjoy!
The play will take place Sunday, October 1st, at 1:30 p.m. in the church. It is not recommended for children under the age of 10. Tickets for the play and raffle can be purchased in-person after Mass, or online using the form on this page. Tickets purchased online will be available in a “will call” box after Masses or at the play itself.
About St. Damien
Born in Belgium in 1840, Joseph DeVeuster took the name Damien after joining the religious life with the Order of the Sacred Hearts. In 1864, he was sent to Honolulu, where he was ordained. For the next decade, he did mission work on the Big Island of Hawaii. In 1873, he went to the isolated island of Molokai, after volunteering to live and work among the leper colony there. While he committed himself to lepers of all ages, he was especially concerned about the children of these forgotten people who had been segregated from their families and loved ones. Damien himself was declared a leper in 1885, but continued his work, building chapels, clinics, cottages, and a hospital. A skilled carpenter, he personally constructed hundreds of cottages and thousands of coffins for his flock. Damien died on Easter Monday night, April 15, 1889 at his quarters at the Kalawao settlement on Molokai.
Damien was declared venerable in 1977. Saint Pope John Paul II declared him beatified on June 4, 1995. He became Saint Damien at a canonization ceremony at the Vatican presided by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009. Saint Damien’s feast day is celebrated on the anniversary of his passing to eternal life each year on April 15.
About Wayne Messmer
Wayne Messmer is a native Chicagoan who grew up on the City’s Southwest Side. He gained recognition as the celebrated National Anthem soloist with the Chicago Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium for 13 seasons in the NHL, including the unrivaled NHL All-Star Game performance of the Canadian and United States National Anthems. He has also worked with the Chicago Wolves, Chicago Cubs, and formerly the Chicago White Sox.