Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hawaii–Astride a mule, the hairpin curves down sea cliffs to the Kalaupapa National Historic Park yield breathtaking vistas. The natural cove protected by cliffs served as enforced isolation for leprosy victims from 1866 until 1969. Some natives were actually tossed from ships as they approached the colony from the sea because sailors were scared to get too close to the victims. One man, Father Joseph Damien, braved his fears and came to work among the people, helping them to establish water collection systems and farms as well as serving their souls. Damien eventually contracted Hansen’s Disease himself, dying in 1889 after serving the people of the colony for 12 years. He is buried next to the church he helped build.
This Sunday, Father Damien was elevated to sainthood by the Catholic Church.
There are still a few patients living in Kalaupapa, and visits to the national park require a permit. Visitors can fly in, hike down the trail, or take a mule ride down and back. Despite its tragic history, Kalaupapa soothes the spirit–a fitting resting place for a saint.