Observance guideSource-backed

Saint Damien de Veuster Day2026 · Date · History

Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 designates May 10 as Saint Damien de Veuster Day and states that it is not a state holiday; 2010 Act 10 explicitly changed the older Father Damien DeVeuster Day / April 15 wording to the current name/date.

Annual dateReviewed 2026-09-26Sensitive topic

About Saint Damien de Veuster Day

Saint Damien de Veuster Day is a Hawaii statutory commemorative day observed on May 10.

Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 expressly says the day is not a state holiday. The current name and date were adopted in 2010, replacing the older Father Damien DeVeuster Day on April 15.

Why Saint Damien de Veuster Day matters

The day commemorates Saint Damien de Veuster, the Catholic missionary associated with service to people with Hansen’s disease at Kalaupapa on Molokai.

Historical discussion should use respectful Hansen’s disease terminology and center the dignity of people affected by the disease rather than treating illness or isolation as spectacle. The religious significance can be described without implying a religious obligation for everyone in Hawaii.

History of Saint Damien de Veuster Day

Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 traces the statutory observance to Laws 1982, chapter 46, section 1.

Before 2010, the statute used the Father Damien DeVeuster Day name and April 15 date.

Act 10 of 2010, approved March 31, 2010, changed the name to Saint Damien de Veuster Day and moved the annual date to May 10 after Damien’s 2009 canonization.

Act 10 explains that May 10 was the memorial feast day granted at the time of Damien’s 1995 beatification. The law also preserves the rule that the commemorative day is not a state holiday.

Institutional timeline

How the observance developed

This timeline uses documented milestones from reviewed sources. Missing stages are left out rather than guessed.

Establishment31 March 2010 (Act 10 approval for the current name and date)
State of Hawaii
Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 (originally L 1982, c 46, §1), as amended by Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, Act 10
Renaming31 March 2010
Amended HRS §8-8 to replace the Father Damien DeVeuster Day name with Saint Damien de Veuster Day after Damien’s canonization.
State of Hawaii · Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, Act 10
Date Change31 March 2010
Changed the annual statutory date from April 15 to May 10.
State of Hawaii · Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, Act 10

Origins & establishment

What the evidence establishes

Evidence & sources ↓

Confirmed institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Details that could not be established from the reviewed sources are listed separately below.

Proclaiming / establishing bodyState of HawaiiHawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 is the state statutory basis for the annual commemorative day.

Original establishing instrument / decisionHawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 (originally L 1982, c 46, §1), as amended by Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, Act 10The current statute cites its 1982 origin and 2010 amendment; Act 10 supplies the current Saint Damien de Veuster Day name and May 10 date.

Original instrument adoption / decision date31 March 2010 (Act 10 approval for the current name and date)Act 10 was approved March 31, 2010. The reviewed materials establish a 1982 statutory origin but do not provide the exact 1982 approval date, so the field is explicitly scoped to the current identity/date amendment.

Former nameFather Damien DeVeuster DayAct 10 shows the prior §8-8 wording and replaces the Father Damien DeVeuster Day name with Saint Damien de Veuster Day.

Former date15 AprilAct 10 explicitly replaces April 15 with May 10.

Why this exact date?May 10 is Saint Damien’s memorial feast day granted at the time of his 1995 beatificationAct 10 states that at his beatification Saint Damien was granted a memorial feast day celebrated annually on May 10 and says the Act’s purpose is to mark that feast day in Hawaii.

3 fields not established in reviewed sources

Originator / proposerThe reviewed statute and 2010 amendment do not establish a single original proposer for the 1982 observance.

Current facilitator / coordinatorThis is a statutory commemorative day; the reviewed law does not require or identify a single campaign facilitator.

First observanceThe statute traces the observance to 1982, but the exact first public observance date is not established in the reviewed sources.

Later institutional actions

Later recognition, renaming, mergers or date changes are kept separate from original establishment.

RenamingAmended HRS §8-8 to replace the Father Damien DeVeuster Day name with Saint Damien de Veuster Day after Damien’s canonization.State of Hawaii · Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, Act 10 · 31 March 2010The enacted text shows the old and new statutory wording directly.

Date ChangeChanged the annual statutory date from April 15 to May 10.State of Hawaii · Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, Act 10 · 31 March 2010The enacted amendment directly replaces April 15 with May 10 and explains the feast-day connection.

Source qualityHigh confidence

3 Primary institutional / legal

View all sources ↓

Names

Also known as

Father Damien Day

How to Observe Saint Damien de Veuster Day

Read the text of Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 and Act 10 of 2010 to understand the statutory identity and 2010 change.

Learn about Saint Damien, Kalaupapa and Hansen’s disease from reputable historical, public-health and cultural sources that respect the people who lived there.

If marking the day in a faith setting, make the religious context explicit rather than presenting devotional practice as a civic requirement.

Use respectful, person-centered language when discussing Hansen’s disease and avoid stigmatizing imagery or descriptions.

Saint Damien de Veuster Day Facts

Fact 01

Saint Damien de Veuster Day is observed in Hawaii on May 10.

Fact 02

Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 says the day is not a state holiday.

Fact 03

The statute traces the observance to a 1982 law.

Fact 04

Act 10 of 2010 changed the older Father Damien DeVeuster Day name and April 15 date to the current Saint Damien de Veuster Day and May 10.

Fact 05

Act 10 says May 10 corresponds to Saint Damien’s memorial feast day granted at his 1995 beatification.

Classification

Topic and context

Civic, Remembrance & History →

Civic, Remembrance & History Remembrance

Accuracy notes

What this page does not assume

Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
Remembrance Civic Context Care.

Evidence

Evidence & sources

Source policy →

Sources used across the guide are gathered here. Labels show how each source supports the page, and contextual references are kept separate from primary evidence.

Source 01

Hawaii Legislature — H.B. 2587 (parallel bill text)

Primary institutional / legal

Source 02

Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 — Saint Damien de Veuster Day

Primary institutional / legal

Source 03

Session Laws of Hawaii 2010, Act 10 (S.B. 2740)

Primary institutional / legal

Source 04data.capitol.hawaii.gov

Hawaii Revised Statutes, Chapter 8 — §8-8 Saint Damien de Veuster Day (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordGuide sources

State Primary Legislation

Source 05data.capitol.hawaii.gov

Hawaii Session Laws 2010, Act 10 (opens in a new tab)

Observance recordGuide sources

State Session Law

Source 06data.capitol.hawaii.gov

Hawaii Legislature — H.B. 2587 (2010 parallel bill text showing the same proposed name/date change) (opens in a new tab)

Guide sources

Questions & connections

Understand it, compare it, then explore further

Start with the most common factual questions, then compare closely related observances and explore useful connections.

Reader questions

Frequently asked questions

When is Saint Damien de Veuster Day?

10 May every year The documented recurrence rule is: 10 May.

Does Saint Damien de Veuster Day fall on the same date every year?

Yes. It uses a fixed annual date unless stronger evidence changes the pattern.

Is Saint Damien de Veuster Day an official public holiday?

Within the reviewed scope, it is identified as Hawaii, United States / statutory commemorative day; not a state holiday. That status is not automatically extended to other countries or jurisdictions.

Who established or recognizes Saint Damien de Veuster Day?

The reviewed sources identify State of Hawaii as the proclaiming or establishing body.

Is Saint Damien de Veuster Day international or country-specific?

This observance is specific to United States. Its fuller verified scope is: Hawaii, United States / statutory commemorative day; not a state holiday.

How is this page verified?

The factual information is checked against reviewed sources, including the date pattern, scope and institutional history. This page was checked on 2026-09-26.

When is Saint Damien de Veuster Day in Hawaii?

It is designated for May 10 each year.

Is Saint Damien de Veuster Day a Hawaii state holiday?

No. Hawaii Revised Statutes §8-8 expressly states that it is not a state holiday.

Was it always on May 10?

No. Before the 2010 amendment, the statute used April 15 for Father Damien DeVeuster Day. Act 10 of 2010 changed both the name and the date.

Why was May 10 chosen?

Act 10 states that May 10 was Saint Damien’s memorial feast day, granted at the time of his 1995 beatification.

Same date