erly alone. He continually begged his superiors for an assistant, not only to help him in the ever-mounting work, but also to provide spiritual comfort for him. They were still reluctant to help, as two other Sacred Hearts brothers had already contracted leprosy from their time on the island.As death approached, Father Damien engaged in a flurry of activity. He continued to recite the Breviary as best he could as his eyes failed, and the disease invaded his windpipe, keeping him from sleeping for more than an hour or two at night. He was forty-nine years old when he died on April fifteenth, 1889. Shortly before his death, he wrote in a letter to his brother, "I am gently going to my grave. It is the will of God, and I thank Him very much for letting me die of the same disease and in the same way as my lepers. I am very satisfied and very happy" ("Father Damien" par. 8).I think that I find Father Damien so interesting because of his selflessness and his devotion to his religion. He knew that in order to show the people of Molokai the joys of Catholicism, he would have to completely immerse himself in their lives. By doing so, he knew that he would ultimately die. Yet despite knowing this, he still chose to forge ahead and share what he could with the people. It shows great selflessness and a strong faith in religion, either of which quality I would be happy to possess. I personally don't know if I would have been able to give so much of myself. And in the end, when his peers would not even comfort him, he continued to do what he could to help the people. It would have different if he hadn't known that he would have to die. But he did, and still chose to go. Even when death was upon him, he worked tirelessly until he no longer had the strength. To me, that is amazing....
