saintS and holy people

Saints, holy people and leprosy 
An introduction by Dr Gosia Brykczynska

Leprosy has been around for millennia but for Christians, the care of leprosy patients follows the example of Christ himself in the gospels. This particular work of mercy started almost immediately after apostolic times and continues to this day.

With the spread of leprosy to Europe from the Near and Far East, in the early middle ages, there was the accompanying establishment of lazar houses and hospices specifically set aside for the care of leprosy patients – and with this charitable activity came the emergence of saints, who in spite of genuine fear of contagion and social rejection themselves, still wanted to care for them. Although up until fairly recently it was not known how the disease was spread, there has always been the well engrained association of contracting the disease either by close affiliation with a person afflicted with leprosy or by simply touching such a person. Isolation and separation of sufferers became the main form of public health response to containing the spread of the disease.

The Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem (Lazarists) was specifically set up as a crusader hospitaller nursing order, established to care for those suffering from leprosy. Founded in 1119, many of its early members had leprosy themselves. Several of the later medieval saints associated with leprosy were Franciscan tertiaries, such as St Elizabeth of Hungary [1207-1231]. These men and women were following the example set by St Francis of Assisi [1181-1226] who personally cared for leprosy patients. The last such Franciscan tertiary closely associated with leprosy is Servant of God John Bradburne [1921-1979] an eccentric English poet, ex-army officer and great wanderer. He spent the last years of his colourful life as a warden looking after leprosy patients in Mutemwa leprosy colony in present day Zimbabwe. He was buried in a Franciscan habit.

John Bradburne by kind permission of JBMS

As leprosy continued to spread in Europe many devout people who had been nursing the sick, themselves contracted the disease; subsequently some of them after their death were deemed to have led such holy lives, that they were beatified. These leprosy sufferers became part of a group of saints who lived and died with the disease. One such early saint was St Alice of Schaerbeek [1220-1250], a Cistercian nun from La Cambre Abbey located in what is now the greater Brussels area. In Italy St Bartolo da San Gimignano [1228-1300], who was a diocesan priest and Franciscan tertiary, contracted the disease and spent the last twenty years of his life looking after fellow leprosy patients and celebrating Mass for them.

Many saints are more loosely associated with leprosy, most notably St Giles [650-710] who is however associated with lazar houses and is the patron saint of many of these houses – which are located all over Europe - including in England; however there is no obvious connection in the life of St Giles with those suffering from leprosy. He was however a very popular saint during the middle ages and invoked against all kinds of diseases. St Giles’ church in central London is all that remains of a leprosy settlement which was once located on that site. Many other lazar houses were under the patronage of St Bartholomew. Lazar houses were usually sited just outside the walls of major towns and cities.

Father Damien

The next group of saints associated with leprosy stems from the time of European colonial expansionism and the associated activities of Europeans in Africa and Asia. The most famous of these saints is Fr Damien De Veuster [1840-1889] who died in the leprosy settlement of Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai in Hawaii. He was a Belgian missionary father. 

​St Marianne Cope [1838-1918], was a Franciscan religious who was present at the death of Fr Damien and with a group of her nursing sisters from Syracuse, USA continued the work which Fr Damian had started - for another forty years. St Marianne also died on Molokai and is buried in the Cathedral in Honolulu. Fr Damian is well known for having contracted the disease himself.  His body was transported back to Belgium, and he is buried in Leuven, in the church belonging to his order.

Saint Marianne Cope

Ft Jan Bejzym

Blessed Fr Jan Bejzym [1850-1912] a Polish Jesuit founded the Marana leprosy hospital in Madagascar and died there. His tomb is located within the leprosy hospital chapel and is now the site of pilgrimage from all over Madagascar.

​Meanwhile Blessed Mary of the Passion, [1839-1904] the foundress of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, established her pioneering missionary work in India and St Joseph’s leprosy hospital in Tuticorin which she helped set up, is still run by her sisters till this day. It is one of the oldest leprosy centres in the state of Tamil Nadu, Southern India. 

​St Mother Teresa of Kolkata [1910-1997] also established several leprosy centres in India and this work was always very close to her heart.

Mother Teresa

But Leprosy was prevalent (albeit in pockets) not only in the so-called tropics but also in more temperate zones of the world, such as in Argentina where St Jose Gabriel del Rosario Bachero (1840-1914) also known as the Gaucho priest for spending much time on horseback travelling around his diocese, lived and died. He suffered with leprosy for most of his life.

St Jose Gabriel del Rosario Bachero

Gosia in front of Fr Marian Zelazek

In recent times several physicians and religious who worked with leprosy patients are now being considered as candidates for sainthood, such as Servant of God Fr Marian Żelazek SVD, [1918-2006], a Divine Word Missionary, who worked most of his priestly life in Central India and latterly in Puri on the Bay of Bengal. There he set up a whole leprosy settlement consisting of school, orphanage, parish church for the local Catholics and a thriving community centre – all around the leprosy hospital and settlement. Because Puri is the site of the large Hindu temple Shri Jagannath, leprosy sufferers flock there from all over India and his small hospital treated and cared for all who came looking for help. He was twice nominated for the Noble Peace prize.

Dr Wanda Blenska

Servant of God Dr Wanda Błeńska [1911-2014] a notable Polish leprologist, developed and ran the Buluba Leprosy Hospital in Uganda. She studied tropical medicine at the Liverpool Institute of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in 1949 before going out to work in Africa. She helped treat thousands of leprosy patients and taught several generations of African doctors about leprosy.  Due to her efforts there is very little leprosy now in that part of Uganda. She died in Poland at the age of 103.

Raoul Follereau [1903-1977] was a French poet, philosopher, journalist and most significantly, an anti-leprosy campaigner and the instigator of World Leprosy Day – which is celebrated each year on the last Sunday of January. In the pre-Vatican II council days, the readings at this Sunday Mass referred to the healing of a person with leprosy. Servant of God, Raoul Follereau was inspired to fight for leprosy sufferers by encountering the life of St Charles Foucauld and together with his wife Madeleine he is now a candidate for sainthood himself. Their joint canonisation process has been formally opened in France. Raoul Follereau is an example of a lay married person who took his Christian responsibilities joyfully and enthusiastically and who together with his wife accomplish great works for the glory of God and the benefit of humanity. He always maintained that without Madeleine at his side he would not be able to achieve all that he did. That and great Faith.

The final example of a Christian who dedicated their life to the fight against leprosy and the promotion of the dignified treatment of leprosy patients is Sister Dr Ruth Pfau [1929-2017]. She was a German physician who was also a member of the congregation of Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She spent most of her life working in Pakistan with leprosy patients; establishing 157 leprosy clinics around the country and founding the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Hospital in Karachi. Even though she was a Catholic sister she was given a state funeral and among many honours which she received, she had her face depicted on a Pakistani stamp and coin. Maybe one day she will also be considered formally as a Catholic saint – meanwhile her life and work remain a legend in Pakistan and among contemporary leprologists as a powerful example of Christian dedication and service on behalf of leprosy patients.

Dr Ruth Pfau - Mother Teresa of Pakistan

Starting with the Molokai leprosy settlement where St Damien De Veuster worked and died, St Francis Leprosy Guild based in the UK, has over the past 129 years been supporting the work of many of these great holy activists. As noted there have been many formally recognised saints associated with the disease and even more whose dedication is unsung and unknown beyond their immediate community. This list of holy leprosy workers is but a small selection – from a veritable army of workers – some of whom are very much alive and serving leprosy patients even today.

Dr Gosia Brykczyńska

The author of this feature is Dr Gosia Brykczyńska who was a trustee of SFLG until 2022. ​ 

Dr Malgorzata Gosia Brykczynska is a retired paediatric oncology nurse and nursing lecturer at the Royal College of Nursing Institute of Advanced Nursing Studies. She is author of many textbooks and patron of The International Association of Catholic Nurses (SICIAMS).