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SENATOR J. KALANI ENGLISH SEES LARGER STORY IN DAMIEN CONONIZATION

"Kalaupapa produced a single saint, but many, many heroes."

HANA, MAUI – In his fifteen years of representing the people of Kalaupapa and Moloka'i, J. Kalani English has never lost his appreciation for the complex emotions that surround the former colony for Hansen's disease patients. "Along with the immense sadness that has surrounded Kalaupapa is also a story of hope and heroism," he says. "It is an incredibly beautiful place, despite the grim history that has become so much a part of its character. And in spite of its isolation—the very reason for its existence as a leper colony—it is also a place where so many found peace, community, and a sense of family."

Between 1866 and 1969, Kalaupapa served as a colony of Hansen's disease sufferers, sequestered by law to avoid spreading the disease. Over the years, approximately 8,000 individuals left behind all that was dear to them to be isolated on the remote Moloka'i peninsula. In 2008, the Hawai'i State Senate passed a resolution, SCR 208, acknowledging the sacrifice of the people of Kalaupapa and apologizing for the harsh restrictions that separated people with leprosy from the general public. English was among the resolutions introducers.

"I could not learn the full story of Kalaupapa, a story I have heard my entire life from kupuna and Ohana who had close, visceral memories to share, and not be drawn into to a commitment to the Kalaupapa people, their welfare, and their concerns," English said.

With the canonization of Father Damien approaching, English, who now represents Moloka'i, Lanai, Kaho'olawe and Hana, East and Upcountry Maui as a state senator and serves on the board of Ka 'Ohana 'O Kalaupapa—a group working toward creating a memorial to the colony—finds himself reflecting more on the richness of Kalaupapa's history.

"Without a doubt, Damien is the world's symbol for Kalaupapa," English says. "It is almost impossible to separate the two in the public mind. Miracles grow from insurmountable challenges, and saints will live among those who bear the greatest burdens. At the same time, there are a thousand stories among the hundreds who lived at Kalaupapa, stories of the day-to-day struggles and triumphs. Kalaupapa produced a single saint, but many, many heroes."

English's hope now is that the light shown upon Damien will also illuminate the larger story of the colony. "Father Damien is a part of a larger story. Many who showed strength, resilience and passion in Kalaupapa are not receiving individual attention, but are no less a part of Kalaupapa and what it meant then and today. Without detracting at all from what Damien did and what his faith brought to the Kalaupapa community, we can see him as a symbol not only of human compassion and service, but also of the rich, complicated history of the many who lived their lives at Kalaupapa, who made sacrifices, and who touched other lives. As we recognize that Damien was an instrument of God's grace, maybe we can also reflect that Kalaupapa was a reflection of God's redemption among man's fear, shown in many acts by many people."

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