Interesting side bar to the Father Damien story

[shrike]

Park service planning for future of community served by Blessed Damien

By Patrick Downes
Catholic News Service

KALAUPAPA, Hawaii (CNS) -- The National Park Service has begun a process that will determine the future of Kalaupapa as the most important chapter in its history slowly comes to an end.

As a community for Hansen's disease patients, its designation for more than 140 years, Kalaupapa will close when the last patient dies.

Currently it is home to about 25 patients, the youngest nearly 70 years old. By an agreement with the state of Hawaii, they are free to stay there for the rest of their lives

Once the patients are gone, the U.S. national park it has been since 1980 will continue. The question is: What kind of place will it be then?

http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0900815.htm

I decided to post this here, since the anti-Catholic brigade will undoubtedly come out if I put it elsewhere. I thought it was an interesting story.