About Father Damien and Leprosy in Hawaii
Leprosy in Hawaii may have started with the arrival of immigrant workers in mid-1800’s. The native population didn’t have any immunity and easily contracted the disease, which was incurable at the time. In 1866 a colony was established on Molokai, on it’s northern side, on Kalaupapa peninsula, completely isolated by towering cliffs. A Belgian missionary priest Father Damien devoted last 16 years of his life to the lepers of Molokai, working every day to improve the despicable living conditions in…