Damien, a one-man play written by Aldyth Morris and starring Casey Groves, will be performed Tuesday, June 14, 7:00 pm at. St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church in Brookfield.
The performance is open to all at no charge. A free will offering will be accepted at the door. “In this Jubilee Year of Mercy, our parish welcomes Casey Groves, who will perform a one-man play about Fr. Damien of Molokai, a true apostle of mercy who worked among the lepers of Molokai, Hawaii in the 1800’s,” said Fr. Shawn Cutler, pastor.
The play tells the true story of Fr. Damien, the heroic Belgian Catholic priest who was a fountain of light to those suffering the darkness of leprosy on the Hawaiian Island of Molokai beginning in 1873. He was a member of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart which continues missionary work in the spirit of Father Damien throughout the world.
Fr. Cutler said St. Damien, canonized in 2009, was “an ordinary person who performed extraordinary works of mercy, attending to the patients’ physical, as well as, spiritual needs.” Groves has appeared extensively at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC and has also appeared in numerous New York City productions before taking this role. Television credits include Damages with Glenn Close, Law and Order, One Life to Live, and As the World Turns. He is an adjunct theater professor at St. Peter’s College in NJ and achieved an MA in Religion from Holy Names College in Oakland and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts from Goddard College in Vermont. The play has won rave reviews from dioceses and parishes across the United States.
“Casey Groves’ performance of ‘Damien’ is very powerful. I encourage parishes and schools throughout the islands to host a performance to celebrate Blessed Damien’s canonization,” said Bishop Larry Silva- Diocese of Honolulu.
“The historic reception of a major relic of St. Damien was a rare moment of grace for the Church in San Francisco, one that was greatly enhanced by Casey Groves’ masterful performance of Damien. Casey brought the ‘Apostle of the Lepers’ to life for us,” said Archbishop George Niederauer of San Francisco The National Catholic Reporter has called it a “A beautiful play, beautifully performed, about a life beautifully lived.”
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish is located at 138 Candlewood Lake Road in Brookfield, Connecticut. For more information, see the Damien Play flyer on our website: www.stmarguerite.org.
