Hawaii declares April 27 ‘Brother Joseph Dutton Day’

On April 23, Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii signed into law a bill that established April 27 of each year as Brother Joseph Dutton Day.

Servant of God Joseph Dutton was a Civil War veteran who dedicated the later part of his life to serving people with leprosy alongside Father Damien De Veuster (St. Damien of Molokai) — who called him “Brother Joseph” — in Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai, Hawaii.

“Brother Joseph Dutton’s life is a powerful reminder of what it means to serve others with humility and compassion,” Green said in a press release. “By establishing this day of recognition, Hawaii ensures that his legacy continues to inspire future generations to act with kindness and selflessness.”

“As state senator representing Molokai, this recognition is deeply meaningful to our community,” Sen. Lynn DeCoite said. “Brother Joseph Dutton stood alongside the people of Kalaupapa during one of the most difficult chapters in our history, bringing care, dignity, and hope to those who needed it most. Establishing April 27 as Brother Joseph Dutton Day ensures that his legacy and the strength and resilience of Kalaupapa will continue to be honored for generations to come.”

“For 44 years Joseph Dutton was an important member of the Kalaupapa community, embracing aloha and compassion in giving of his life of service to the patients living during challenging times,” said Dr. Maria Devera, board president of the Joseph Dutton Guild. “It is fitting that we take time to recall and honor that life of service and take a moment and reflect on our call to service.”

Dutton was born Ira Dutton to Protestant parents in Stowe, Vermont, on April 27, 1843. In 1883 he became Catholic and took Joseph as his baptismal name.

The next year he entered a Trappist monastery in Kentucky, where he stayed for almost two years but discerned that a better way for him to offer penance would be through an active spiritual life.

In July 1886, Dutton arrived at Kalaupapa after discovering the work St. Damien was doing on the island. He quickly became an expert in caring for the sick, specifically those with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy, and continued his work after Damien died in 1889 from leprosy. He served the sick in Kalaupapa for 44 years.

Dutton died in 1931 at the age of 87 at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu.

His cause for canonization opened on May 10, 2022, at the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. On Jan. 21, 2024, the local phase of his cause concluded and was sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in Rome for review.