Saint of the Week: St. Damien of

1. Make a paper lei! Using colored paper, strings, and plastic straws, create leis in honor of St. Damien. Directions can be found here: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Paper-Lei

2. Learn the ! When Fr. Damien came to the leper colony on Molokai, there was great sadness and fear. He helped bring hope and a sense of family to those he served. Celebrate his life by learning a hula dance! There are many videos online that you can watch as a family to get moving and remember the joy and love St. Damien felt for !

3. Google Earth Look up Tremelo, Belgium (his hometown) and Kalaupapa, Hawaii (where he ministered and died) on Google Earth. Explore the town and the island St. Damien inhabited during his life.

4. Read the Gospel Read the stories about Jesus healing the lepers (Mark 1:40-45 or Luke 17:12-19) as a family.

5. Throw a luau! St. Damien Molokai spent a majority of his life in Hawaii. Have a St. Damien luau, wear your favorite Hawaiian shirt, make some delicious food and celebrate this saint.

6. Pray to St. Damien Molokai St. Damien’s feast day is May 10— pray his novena, beginning on May 1, to ask for his intercession for those afflicted with sickness and disease, as well as their physical and spiritual caregivers during this difficult time. The novena can be found here: https://www.praymorenovenas.com/st-damien-of- molokai-novena, and you can even sign up to have reminders sent to your email every day to help keep you on track.

7. Movie Night Watch “Molokai: The Story of Father Damien” to learn more about the life and ministry of this saint. To watch for free, click here: https://tubitv.com/movies/514727/ molokai_the_story_of_father_damien?utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed (movie is rated PG)

8. Pray to St. Francis Xavier Everyday, St. Damien prayed before a picture of St. Francis Xavier, the patron saint of missionaries, to be sent on a mission to serve the Lord. Pray to St. Francis Xavier for all of the missionaries in the world and the people they are ministering to, that they may receive the Good News with open hearts.