A relic of Father Damien will be brought to Hawaii in late October, according to a tentative itinerary for the relic's movement following Damien's entry into Roman Catholic sainthood on Oct. 11 in Rome.

Bishop Larry Silva of the Roman Catholic diocese here explained in a press statement that a relic is defined as a piece of bone of a saint or “blessed” (the step before sainthood) and it is venerated by Catholics. It is often customary for relics of newly named saints to process through places of importance in the saint’s life and the life of the church.
Damien was first buried in 1889 at Kalaupapa, where he had served the Hansen’s disease community until he died of the disease. In 1936, his body was exhumed and moved back to his native Louvain, Belgium. In 1995, when he was declared Blessed, a relic was sent back to the Islands to be re-interred in his original grave. Following the canonization, another relic will be given a permanent home at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, where Father Damien was ordained in 1864.
Bishop Silva expressed the hope that the relic would inspire people to “grow in love with God and to serve the most needy among us with his spirit of faith and love.”
The relic will be received by Bishop Silva in Rome Oct. 11 and will visit a number of Mainland cities from Newark, N.J., to Oakland, Calif., between Oct. 13 and Oct. 17 and will travel through Hawaii as follows:
Oct. 18-20, West Hawaii
Oct. 21-23, East Hawaii
Oct. 24-26, Maui
Oct. 27, Lanai
Oct. 28-29, Kauai
Oct. 30 Molokai topside
Oct. 31, Kalaupapa, Molokai
Nov. 1, Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Honolulu, Oçahu, noon, Mass; interfaith youth service, 1:30-3:30 p.m., Iolani Palace followed by procession back to Our Lady of Peace with stops at Liliuokalani and Damien statues at the state Capitol
Nov. 2, West Honolulu
Nov. 3, East Honolulu
Nov. 5, Leeward Oahu
Nov. 6, Pilgrimage Day to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace from Windward Oahu.
Details of the visits will be announced at a later time.
Father Damien’s relic will be accompanied at all times by Bishop Silva or by a priest designated by the bishop.