St. Damien of Molokai, May 10
A Belgian priest of the Sacred Hearts Fathers, Damien went to Hawaii and in 1873 volunteered to serve the leprosy settlement on Molokai. He built homes, a church and an orphanage, and eventually caught the disease himself. He died in 1889; Hawaii honors him with a statue in the U.S. Capitol.
On the U.S. liturgical calendar, May 10 is an optional memorial: Saint Damien de Veuster, priest.
Other saints on May 10
- St. John of Avila, priest and doctor (1569)
Name days on May 10
In countries that keep name days, May 10 is the day for people named Damien.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Damien | May 10 |
May 10 on the calendar
May 10 is the 130th day of the year (the 131st in a leap year), with 235 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday |
| 2027 | Monday |
| 2028 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | Thursday |
| 2030 | Friday |
Keeping May 10
May 10 falls in May, the month of Mary. As an optional memorial, each parish or priest may choose whether to celebrate it. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named Damien, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around May 10
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| May 7 | St. Rose Venerini |
| May 8 | St. Peter of Tarentaise |
| May 9 | St. Pachomius |
| May 11 | St. Mamertus |
| May 12 | Sts. Nereus, Achilleus and Pancras |
| May 13 | Our Lady of Fatima |
The day before, May 9, is the day of St. Pachomius. The day after, May 11, belongs to St. Mamertus. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.