Blessed Sacrament celebrates 180th birthday of Brother Dutton

Guests have been invited from Hawai’i, including the Most Rev. Larry Silva, Bishop of Honolulu, who initiated the cause for Dutton’s canonization.

Dutton worked for 44 years on Moloka’i alongside Saint Damien De Veuster and Saint Marianne Cope.

The church and its parishioners have long been an important part of the effort to recognize Dutton’s service. There are 12 panels on the outside walls that depict Dutton’s life on Moloka’i.

In 2008, Gerry Kirchner was awarded the Dutton Service Medal for his role in promoting the memory of Dutton.

The community is invited to participate in the weekend activities:

• Saturday, April 22, 7 p.m.: Stowe Cinema will show “The Wind and the Reckoning,” rated R, a film about the leprosy pandemic in 1890’s Hawai’i, written by John Fusco of Morristown and directed by David Cunningham. The filmfeatures a Hawaiian cast and was voted best of show at the Boston and San Diego film festivals. The showing is free.

• Sunday, April 23, Silva will be the main celebrant at the 10:30 Mass, with Rev. Jon Schnobrich, the parochial vicar, Rev. Sahaya Paul and several other priests.

Should the Catholic Church find that Joseph Dutton meets the criteria for sainthood, he will be the first person born in Vermont and the third born in the U.S. to be so recognized.

More at the Joseph Dutton Guild in Hawai’i at josephdutton.org.