The Honolulu Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • 1

rm tt 11 i i i hp Hnnnn Anwrnspr DAMIEH IS SAINTED SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2009 X11V J.XUUV1U1U i 1x4 Vi 11UV1 1 'TgrTTl r-wr- mi ii BY MARY VORSINO Advertiser Staff Writer ATICAN CITY In front of at least 20,000 I Ml iTT .71 i people this morning in St. Peter's Basilica, 1 Pope Benedict XVI made official what many in Hawaii al ways knew that "Kamiano" of Moloka'i, whose unwavering compassion in the face of so much suffering has become a parable for our times, led a life worthy of elevation to sainthood. 1 sr. pope, in Flemish, told attendees that Father Damien went to Moloka'i though he knew doing so was exposing himself to Hansen's disease. The pontiff added that when Damien got there he felt "at home." More than 550 Islanders made the trek to Rome for the canonization of Hawaii's first saint, which comes 120 years after Father Damien's death in Kalaupapa from Hansen's disease and follows a decades-long push to see the hero that the isolated SEE DAMIEN, A6 ffirifi ii" jjifaiiA-- MARY VORSINO The Honolulu Advertiser For Kalaupapa patients at St.

Peter's Basilica today, the canonization of Damien was a lifetime experience. aT Jl K'it' AV 2 r. "'I 4 lint 1 iiilmfi -AA. a rt A nimmainf -rr miini 'mi JMJl It.XJjJSfcslal hti 1 1 MARY VORSINO The Honolulu Advertiser REBECCA BREYER The Honolulu Advertiser PIER PAOLO CITO Associated Press I I LEFT: Kalaupapa patients attend the canonization of Father Damien and four others. CENTER: Tom Walton of Dana Point, whose pre-cancerous condition went away after prayer, becomes emotional at Father Damien's grave on Moloka'i.

RIGHT: A tapestry depicting Damien hangs outside St. Peter's Basilica before Mass at the Vatican. mim Kalaupapa braces for surge in visitors Parish honors saint with charity event INSIDE Special 1 4-page section on Damien. Actor recounts role as Damien I D1 16 years helping a quarantined community of people afflicted with what was then known as leprosy. "But I didn't understand how significant it was to witness that event," she said.

"I was young and it was just something I had to do. I didn't know that he would one day become a saint." SEE PARISH, A7 and his own rosary beads at Damien's grave, then pumped his fist in victory. "I'm just saying thanks," Walton said after a moment between tears. "We did it. He did it." As soon as he learned of Damien's canonization in Rome today (10 p.m.

yesterday Hawai'i time), Watson SEE MOLOKA'I, A6 BY MICHAEL TSAt Advertiser Staff Writer Jean Muragin was 11 years old when she watched a casket bearing the remains of Father Damien de Veuster carried via wagon down Bishop Street toward a ship bound for Damien's native Belgium A Catholic, she was well aware of Damien's work on Kalaupapa, where he spent BY DAN NAKASO advertiser Staff Writer KALAWAO, Moloka'i Tom Walton prayed for a miracle to save his life and got it, then felt compelled by an indescribable force to jump on an airplane and travel across an ocean so he could kneel before Father Damien's grave yesterday. Walton, 63, wept as he placed a blessed Vatican flag Breaking news, video reports and photos from the Vatican at ana pnoios rrom tne mm mWlil HonoluluAdvertlser. com. Get additional details in reporter Mary Vor-sino's blog at www.countdowntostdamlen or on her Twitter feed: honadvdamlen. OCTOBER 11, 2009 CALL 538-NEWS TO SUBSCRIBE HAWAII'S COMPLETE SOURCE $2 O'AHU, $3 NEIGHBOR ISLANDS HOME FINAL December groundbreaking still in sight for rail project i To avoid delay, city must uicecn nctni mee MISSED DEADLINES clear several key hurdles i -A The city plans to start construction of its $5.5 billion train in December.

However, the city has already missed key deadlines established in July. Was target Milestone Target date met? FTA approval to enter preliminary engineering July 1 No FTA record of decision Oct. 1 No FTA letter of no prejudice Oct. 2-1 3 Not yet Start of construction Dec. 1 3 Open East Kapolei to Waipahu section Dec.

24, 2012 Open East Kapolei to Ala Moana March 4, 201 9 FTA Federal Transit Administration Source: Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project Spot Report No. 5, July 2009. BY SEAN HAO Advertiser Staff Writer It's crunch time for the Honolulu commuter rail project In just over two months, the city plans to begin construction on its new $53 billion elevated train system. Breaking ground in December will represent the culmination of decades of on-and-off planning for the massive public works project, while providing a major political victory to the train's SEE RAIL, A2 COPYRIGHT, 2009 CRUSHED Warriors lose 3rd in row, 42-1 7 to Fresno State SPORTS I A GANNETT NEWSPAPER i.