Father damien miracles in the bible

Posted on: Friday, July 4, 2008

2 miracles attributed to Damien

By Leanne Ta
Advertiser Staff Writer

John Paul II presided over the presentation of a casket containing the remains of Damien's right hand to a Hawai'i delegation in 1995. Associated Press library photo

Two miracles attributed to Father Damien are separated by more than 100 years, and much uncertainty surrounds the first one, the healing in 1895 of a French nun.

The case involved the overnight recovery of Sister Simplicia Hue, who at age 37 lay dying of an intestinal illness thought to be ulcerative colitis.

After she began a novena — a series of prayers said over nine consecutive days — to Damien, her illness disappeared. She lived another 32 years, according to various news reports.

In the early 1990s, a report was filed in Belgium about the first miracle attributed to Damien's intercession.

While that much is known about the event, local church officials are unc