Energy continued to build on Monday morning at the newly dubbed Saint Damien School, where students being dropped off were welcomed with high-fives and smiles from President and CEO Walter “Wally” Marciel, among others.
One of two Kalaupapa residents who came to the mass on Sunday greets Very Reverend Monsignor Gary Secor, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia. (Saint Damien School) 
Saint Damien School alumni pose with Board Chair Lanson Kupau (center left) and President and CEO Wally Marciel (center right). (Saint Damien School)
Formerly Damien Memorial School, the private intermediate and high school in Kalihi celebrated its name change with a Sunday mass open to the community on Oct. 11, marking the 17th anniversary of Saint Damien’s canonization by Pope Benedict XVI on the same date in 2009. Very Reverend Monsignor Gary Secor, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, gave the Liturgy of the Eucharist during the mass and greeted guests afterwards.
“Nothing changes,” Marciel, a 1979 Damien graduate, told Aloha State Daily. “Our logo stays the same. All the school’s values are still the same. We honor all the alumnus that graduated. But we are working on updating our banners, letterhead and things like that."
“It’s time to honor Saint Damien; how he lived versus how he died,” he continued. “Saint Damien was there for the people of Molokai. He was with them daily and sacrificed his life for them. It took courage for him to do that.”
Marciel, a retired basketball coach who served on Damien’s board and as interim president and CEO prior to taking on this role in March, said that this is the third name change he’s seen at the school. It was founded as an all-boys school called Damien Memorial High School in 1962; in 2012, it transitioned to a co-educational institution named Damien Memorial School; and this month, the renaming to Saint Damien School drops “memorial” altogether to pay homage to his life legacy rather than his passing.
Originally from Belgium, Father Joseph de Veuster arrived to Hawaiʻi in 1864 and devoted his life to serving people with Hansen’s disease, who were later sent to Kalaupapa on Molokai under King Kamehameha V. He went with them as a caretaker, helping to establish schools and churches with little resources, Marciel said, emphasizing Saint Damien’s impact then on kids and families.
“Saint Damien showed us what it means to recognize the dignity of every person,” said Board Chair Lanson Kupau in a statement. “We remain focused on educating and developing young gentlemen and young ladies who will face the challenges of the world with his spirit and compassion.”
Kupau — a 1982 Damien grad, retired judge and Honolulu attorney — told ASD that though the process for this name change was extensive, it started with requesting permission from the Congregation of Christian Brothers, which sponsors and operates the school. According to Marciel and Kupau, the Brothers once lived on campus, where the existing administration building stands today.
On a tour of the school Monday, we also passed by a small church where mass is held weekly, as well as the De Veuster Multi-Sport Field, which has recently expanded from 80 yards to a regulation-length 100-yard football field with new turf.
Fundraising is underway for the De Veuster Multi-Sport Field, which was recently expanded from 80 yards to a regulation-length 100-yard football field with new turf. Photo by Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Students may attend chapel on campus on Fridays. Photo by Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros (Aloha State Daily Staff) 
Formerly Damien Memorial School, the private intermediate and high school in Kalihi, celebrated its name change with a Sunday mass open to the community on Oct. 11, marking the 17th anniversary of Saint Damien’s canonization by Pope Benedict XVI on the same date in 2009. Saint Damien School aims to honor his life and legacy. Photo by Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros (Aloha State Daily Staff)
Marciel said that the overall goal is to host games on campus for the first time in the school’s history for the 2027 season. Other improvements in the works include adding bleachers, a skybox and Jumbotron. Donate to the capital campaign here.
For its upcoming varsity football homecoming game, the Damien Monarchs will matchup against Pac-Five this Saturday, Oct. 17, at 5:30 p.m. at Farrington High School, where it will continue to host its home games.
The homecoming assembly held Monday afternoon was a surprise for students put on by the school’s student government. The gym erupted with cheers as 6th to 12th grade students participated in a trivia contest about Saint Damien, student versus teacher volleyball games and more. The assembly concluded with the singing of the Damien Alma Mater and ice cream.
Sophomore Sabrina Alejo shared with ASD some of the student-led clubs, including ones that champion community service, Dungeons & Dragons and medieval times, in addition to Monarch to Medicine, which she started.
“Doctors come in and talk with the students about their medical careers and conduct hands-on workshops,” she explained. “My mom is an oncology nurse, so I want to go into health care, too.”
She notes that she attended a different Catholic school before but didn’t learn about Saint Damien until switching schools.
“[Saint Damien] came to the Islands at 24 years old, became a priest and then was one of the first volunteers to respond to leprosy in the 1860s,” Kupau said. “He had to have known this was a one-way ticket. He was tenacious before he died at 49.”
“That’s why I think it was important to not only honor him as a saint, but to celebrate how he lived because we have these young gentleman and ladies that are leaving our campus at 17 and 18 years old and we want them to have the courage of Saint Damien to face those challenges with his same tenacity, same courage and same service for others.”
After the homecoming assembly, Kupau reflected on lessons learned from the students.
“I see that they have so much joy. So much respect and kindness toward each other. Right now, friendly competition. It’s contagious,” he said. “We as adults maybe need to also learn from the next generation, as well as try to give them some of our wisdom. And I think it’ll be a better place if we do that."
Looking ahead, he says the board of directors is prioritizing building a strong sense of community, increasing enrollment and community service opportunities, opening a culinary classroom on campus and finishing the De Veuster Multi-Sport Field.
His advice to the next generation? Kupau adds: “It starts from faith in God; respecting your parents, grandparents, elders; reminding ourselves that no amount of success comes without those who have sacrificed for you to be here; and I think that comes from the sacrifice of Jesus, the sacrifice of Saint Damien; the sacrifices of your parents and loved ones. … Everything in life that leads to success starts with sacrifice. And we should always be mindful and grateful for those sacrifices.”
Learn more about Saint Damien School and its Fall Open House planned for Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 to 11 a.m. RSVP here.
Kelsey Kukaua Medeiros can be reached at kelsey@alohastatedaily.com.
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