An Uncommon Kindness (2003)

Narrated by Robin Williams, this 60-minute film tells the story of the Flemish priest Damien de Veuster, better known as Father Damien, who followed God's call to serve the leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Beginning in 1866 the government segregated lepers to the barren island of Molokai where they were abandoned to hostile, isolated and horribly primitive conditions, with no housing or even potable water. In 1873, at the age of 33, Father Damien arrived to serve the 600 dispossessed people. Passionate, driven, and the object of baseless criticisms from Protestants, Father Damien provided for the material needs of the people (housing, food, medical care) as well as their spiritual needs. He even built their coffins and dug their graves. Sixteen years later, in 1889 he died there of leprosy. In 1995 Pope John Paul declared Father Damien "blessed" (beatified), which is the second of three stages to canonization as a saint.

Dan Clendenin: dan@journeywithjesus.net