Tend to God’s sheep

Msgr. Michael Woster
Third Sunday of Easter 
May 4, 2025

I have been so fortunate to visit all sorts of beautiful churches over my many years of priesthood — Saint Peter in Rome, the Church of Saint Francis in Assisi, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem — to mention a few. But in many ways, the most beautiful church I ever saw was on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. It wasn’t beautiful in the usual sense of the word. In fact, it was nothing more than a simple wood structure which probably held 40 people at the most. No beautiful statues in it. No stone of any kind. Only simple crosses on the wall to mark the steps of the stations. The altar wasn’t marble or even made of a rich or durable wood. But it was beautiful because it was one of the several small chapels used by Saint Damien, the leper, during his many years of service on that isolated, deserted island just a few miles from the greater island of Oahu nearby.

Most of you probably know Damien’s story. As a young missionary from Belgium, he learned how Hawaii dealt with the dreaded disease of leprosy, just two centuries ago, by transporting all the lepers from various islands to the desert peninsula of Molokai where they lived in isolation and deprivation far from the rest of the people until they died from their disease. Damien was moved with great compassion at their plight and volunteered to go to the desolate island and ministered to their spiritual and, as best he could, physical needs. This he did faithfully until after many years, he himself contracted leprosy and died in the midst of the people for whom he had given his whole life and his whole priesthood. 

I had learned about this great saint during my seminary years, but I never realized the radical nature of his gift of self until I visited the island many years later after I was ordained. I saw the simple wood Chapel where he offered the Eucharist every day for the lepers of Molokai and my heart was deeply moved. Damien became a saint because as a priest of God and out of great love for Christ, he imitated Jesus for 16 years on the island of Molokai until there was nothing else for him to give. 

I share this story during Easter time because what Damien did in Molokai, we are to do in Rapid City, in Sturgis, in Spearfish, in Presho, and Pine Ridge, and everywhere in the world. Just a couple of weeks ago we heard again the story of the Passion of our Lord, and we are reminded at the Lord’s Last Supper, that we are to lay down our lives for one another — for our families, for our loved ones, our friends and neighbors of course, but even the stranger who we may not even know. This is not easy to do. It’s terribly hard, as St. Peter learned as his master was arrested and put to death. And yet we strive to do it because Jesus first did it for us. 

As we heard in today’s Gospel, with Peter, we are called to care for and tend God’s sheep even when it entails great suffering and pain. But our Lord will help us. He has helped us. His resurrection, which we celebrate during these 50 days, brings us power and strength and hope. And like Saints Damien and Peter, we find that we can even do the impossible.