The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has voted to support possible sainthood for “Brother” Joseph Dutton, who converted to Catholicism on his 40th birthday in 1883 and worked at the Hansen’s disease settlement at Kalaupapa for almost 45 years as penance for what he called his “degenerate decade” of hard drinking.

The vote to advance the cause of beatification and canonization for Dutton was taken during the conference’s fall General Assembly, held Nov. 15 to 18 in Baltimore. The next step is for the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints to document his life and investigate any miracles attributed to him.

During his time on Molokai, Dutton served alongside Hawaii’s two lone Catholic saints, Father Damien DeVeuster, who was canonized in 2009, and Sister Marianne Cope, who attained sainthood in 2012. Although often referred to as “Brother Dutton,” an “affectionate designation” by Father Damien, according to Catholic church accounts, Dutton was a layman.

Patrick Boland has studied the history of Kalaupapa and will be one of three featured speakers at a Dec. 11 webinar on Dutton presented by the Damien & Marianne Catholic Conference. He said Wednesday he was “elated but not surprised” that the process toward possible sainthood was moving forward.

“The merits of the case seem obvious. I don’t see any reason for the case not to advance,” said Boland, who used to provide guided tours of Kalaupapa.

Asked to summarize those merits in a nutshell, Boland said: “He was attempting to do penance for his sinful life, so I think what I would say is his steadfast faith and commitment to serve one segment of society’s marginalized.”

As for his own interest in the historical figure, Boland explained that “to me, he’s one of the trio of Damien, Marianne and Dutton. They all three are similar in their dedication to service. I put him in the group; I wouldn’t separate them out too much.”

If Dutton is canonized, Boland said it would be “extremely unusual,” at least in the United States, for three Catholic saints to emerge from “one tiny, little place.”

Honolulu Bishop Clarence R. Silva is on a retreat this week and was unavailable to comment, according to a Honolulu Diocese spokesman. But it was Silva who introduced Dutton’s cause for sainthood at the bishops conference meeting last month.

Ira Barnes Dutton was born April 27, 1843, in Stowe, Vt. According to church accounts, the Civil War veteran married in 1866 and “endured several tumultuous years with a failed marriage and alcohol abuse,” a period he later referred to as his “degenerate decade.”

Dutton converted to Catholicism on his 40th birthday, April 27, 1883, in Memphis, Tenn., taking Joseph as his baptismal name. He entered a Trappist monastery in Kentucky in 1884 but left after a short time, traveling to Hawaii in 1886 to serve the 8,000 people, mostly Native Hawaiians, who were forcibly quarantined on Kalaupapa.

Dutton helped Father Damien until the priest’s death three years later and remained in Kalaupapa, administering the Baldwin Home for boys and men, until his death in 1931 at St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu.

Dutton’s grave lies next to Damien’s at St. Philomena Church in Kalawao.

The free Dec. 11 webinar also will feature the Rev. Jon Schnobrich of Blessed Sacrament Church in Stowe, Vt., which is dedicated to Dutton.

Sister Cheryl Wint of the Damien & Marianne Catholic Conference said the group was “totally, totally excited” with news that Dutton’s case for sainthood was advancing, which she called “truly a blessing as we approach Christmas.”

Also appearing, along with Boland, will be Ed Paz, treasurer of the Brother Dutton Guild, which was established by Silva in 2015 to research and share information on Dutton’s life and encourage devotion to him. Paz will discuss the Catholic chuch’s canonization process.

WEBINAR SET

The Damien & Marianne Catholic Conference is hosting the free webinar “The Servant of God Joseph Dutton, layman!” from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Dec. 11. Speakers include Patrick Boland, Ed Paz and the Rev. Jon Schnobrick. Preregister at dmcc.org Opens in a new tab.