You're listening to a podcast on Catholic Saints.

This podcast is produced by the Augustine Institute, an Apostolate helping Catholics understand, live, and share their faith.

Hi, welcome to Catholic Saints.

My name is Mary McGeehan.

I work here at the Augustine Institute.

And today I am joined with Dr. James Perthrow, Professor of Theology and Sacred Scripture.

Thanks for joining.

Thanks so much for having me.

We are talking about St. Damien of Molokai on this episode.

And the whole point is to learn about the lives of the saints.

Look to them for inspiration on how we two are called to be saints in our lives.

So, St. Damien of Molokai, what a saint.

Absolutely, absolutely.

I've seen a movie about him, and that's about it. So I'm excited to learn more about him. So you're one up on me. I haven't seen the movie. You have, yeah. I thought it was pretty good. I think, yes, it might even be on forum.org if you'd like to check it out. But it is wonderful. What would you say are some basics about St. Damien? When did he grow up? What time period? Where is he from?

Yeah. So St. Damien, he's born Joseph, Joseph, but he's born in Belgium, actually. So he's

actually European. But he's the patron saint of the diocese of Honolulu, uh, in Hawaii,

because that's where he did, uh, uh, his most important work in the, the, uh, work that, at

least on earth, he's remembered as being a saint for.

Um, uh, so he was, uh, born in Belgium in the mid-1800s, about 1840.

Okay.

And he had an interest in religious life.

His brother went off to religious life, and his dad then expected him to Damien,

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