Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Neil Abercrombie this afternoon accepted an invitation from the White House to travel to Brussels, Belgium as part of a presidential delegation to celebrate the canonization of Father Damien on Sunday, October 18, 2009.

The delegation will be led by U.S. Ambassador Howard Gutman and is scheduled to depart Washington, D.C. on October 17th and return on October 19th.

Head of Delegation

“The canonization of Father Damien completes his ascension to sainthood and gives universal veneration to a life of extraordinary commitment, charity, and faith. It has been more than 120 years since his death at Kalaupapa, Molokai, but Father Damien’s life continues to illuminate for all humankind the pathway of service to the needy.

“Father Damien’s mission in life and the journey he took to fulfill it were inspired by a simple yet profound compassion, moral virtues and deep spirituality. He challenged the orthodoxies of his own church and the government to provide the needed resources to care for Hansen’s disease patients who had been banished to Kalaupapa—attracting worldwide attention to his demonstration of humanity.  He lived, worked, and died in geographic isolation with the people he cared for, but his timeless teachings and inspiration have reached a vast congregation that reaches around the world without regard to time and place. Father Damien’s hope and devotion continue to strengthen all of us today, and his sainthood affirms this for eternity.”

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