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 OAMIAN

615

DAN

There is a bibliographical notice by Rattinger in the fif- teenth volume of the Synchron. Geschicht^: see Wegle, Dam- bcrgcT in Allgcmeine deutsche Biographic (Leipzig. 1896); SoM- MERVOGF.L. Bibl. de la c. de J. (2nd ed., Paris and Brussels, lS9n, II. 1786 sqq.

J. P. IVIRSCH.

Damian, Saint. Sec Cosmas and Uamian, Saints. Damian, P.\triarch of Alexandria. See Mono-

PHYSITKS.

Damianistes or Damianissines. See Poor Clare.s.

Damien, Father (Joseph de Veilster), missionary priest, b. at Trenieloo, Belgium, 3 January, 1840; d. at Molokai, Hawaii, 1.5 .\pril. ISSS. His father, a small farmer, sent him to a college at Braine-le-C'omte, to pre- pare for a commercial profession ; but as the result of a mission given by the ReJemptorists in 1858, Joseph de- cided to become a religious. He entered the novitiate of the Fathers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary at Louvain, and took in religion the name of Damien. He was admitted to the re- ligious profession, 7 Oct., 1860. Three years later, though still in minor orders, he was sent to the mission of the Ha- waiian Islands, where he arrived, 19 March, 1864. Ordained priest at Honolulu 24 May, of the same year, he was later given charge of variovLs districts on the upland of Hawaii, and, animated with a burning zeal, his rol)Ust constitution allowed him to give full play to the im- pulses of his heart. He was not only the missionary of the natives, but also constructed several chapels with his own hands, both in Hawaii and in Molokai.

On the latter island there had grown up a leper set- tlement where the Gr)vernment kept segregated all persons afflicted with the loathsome disease. The board of health supplied the unfortunates with food and clothing, but was unal>le in the beginning to pro- vide them with either resident physicians or nurses. On 10 May, 1873, Father Damien, at his own re- quest and with the sanction of his bishop, arrived at the .settlement as its resident priest. There were then 600 lepers. " As long as the lepers can care for them- selves", wrote the superintendent of the board of health to Bishop Maigret, "they are comparatively comfortable; but as soon as the dreadful disease ren- ders them helpless, it would seem that even demons themselves would pity their condition and hasten to their relief." For a long time, however. Father Damien was the only one to bring them the succour they so greatly needed. He not only administered the con.solations of religion, but also rendered them such little medical service and bodily comforts as were within his power. He dressed their ulcers, helped them to erect their cottages, and went so far as to dig their graves and make tlieir coffins. After twelve years of this heroic service he discovered in himself the first sj-mptoms of the di.sease. This was in 1885. He nevertheless contimied his charitable ministra- tions, being assisted at this period by two other priests

and two lay brothers. On 28 March, 1888, Father I )amien became helpless and passed away shortly after, elusitig his fifteenth year in the service of the lepers.

('(-rtain utterances concerning his morality called forth Robert Louis Stevenson's well-known philippic against the. Rev. Dr. Hyde, wherein the memory of the Apostle of the Lepers is brilliantly vindicated. In addition a correspondence in the " Pacific Commercial Advertiser", 20 June, 1905, completely removes from the character of Father Damien every vestige of sus- picion, proving beyond a doubt that Dr. Hyde's in- sinuations rested merely on misunderstandings.

Tauvel. Father Damien (London, 1904); Cliffohd, Father Damien (London, 1890); Stoddard. Father Damien, The Martyr of Molokai (San Francisco, 1901>; Hatne in "The Hawaiian" (Honolulu, Dec-Jan., 1895-96); Facifw Commer- cial Advertiser (Honolulu, 20 June. 1905).

Libert H. Boevnaems.

Damietta (Or. Tamiathis, Arab. DoumM), an Egyptian titular see for the Latins and the Catholic Meichite ( !reeks, in August amnica Prima. Damietta, first mentioned by Stephanus Byzantius, was situated at the mouth of the Phatnitic branch of the Nile, on the right bank; its prosperity seems to have coincided with the decline of its religious metropolis Pelusium. Only four bishops are known, from 431 to 879. Under Caliph Omar the Arabs took it by treachery and suc- cessfully defended it against the Greeks who tried to recover it, particularly in 739, 821, 921 and 968. The .\rabs also repulsed several attacks of Amaiu-y I, King of Jerusalem. It w-as finally captured by Jean de Brieime, 1219, after a siege of 15 months; of its 70,000 inhabitants only 3000 survived. St. Francis of Assisi visited the camp of the crusaders and went thence to that of Sultan Malek Kemel to preach the Christian Faith. In 1221 the Franks were defeated and obliged to abandon the town. In June, 1249, it was again cap- tured by St. Louis, who transformed into a church the magnificent mosque El-Fatah and established there a Latin bishop, Gilles; but having been taken prisoner with his anny, April, 1250, he was obliged to surrender Damietta as ransom. In 1251 the Sultan, hearing that the pious king was preparing a new crusade, ordered the town and its citadel to be destroyed, ex- cept the mosque El-Fatah. Later on fishermen built their shelters among the ruins; in this way the mod- ern town has gradually arisen. The site of ancient Damietta is erroneously placed by some historians at Esbeh el-Bordj, six miles from the modern town. Damietta is no longer at the mouth of the Nile, but ten miles from the sea; it has about 53,000 inhab- itants, of whom 75 are Catholic Meichite fireeks, 60 Latins, and 250 non-Catholic Christians, the rest Mus- sulmans. Franciscans have resided there since the time of St. Francis, and Franciscan nuns conduct a .school for girls. Wealthy inhabitants of Cairo are wont to retire to Damietta during the heated season. The harbour is of little importance. Damietta is also, probably since the fifth century, a see for the Mono- physite Copts; moreover, one of the non-Catholic Greek metropolitans subject to the Patriarch of Alex- andria bears the title of Pelusium and Damietta. In the neighbouring Mansourah, famous for the victory of St. Louis, there are about 1000 Catholics and sev- eral institutions.

Lzavir-N, Orinix Christianris, U, riS9: IH. 1147; Vanbleb, Histoire de Viglise d'Alexandrie (Paris, 1677). 26 sq.; Golubo- \TCH, Serie cronologica dei auperiori di Terra Santa (Jerusalem, 1898). 244 sq.: Jci.uEN, L'Eayptc (Lille. 1891). 161-182; Missiones CatholictB (Rome, 1907), 351.

S. Vailhe.

Dandleb. p. Sept. A(ii').— (1) The fifth son of Jacob, being the elder of the two sons born to him by Bsila, the handmaid of Rachel, and the eponymous ancestor of the tribe bearing the same; name. Etymologically, the word is referred to the Hebrew root ]'T sig- nifying "to rule" or "judge", and in the passage,