Early this morning, Pope Benedict XVI was scheduled to announce the date on which Father Damien will become Hawai'i's first saint.

At the Vatican, the pope was to hold what is called a consistory to make a decision on when Father Damien will be canonized as a saint. The date is expected to be in mid-October.

The October event will be the culmination of a more than five-decade-long process of being named a saint and will honor Damien's lifetime of service.

Damien, who was born Joseph de Veuster, the son of farmers in Belgium, was ordained a priest in Honolulu in 1864, and served at the Moloka'i settlement of Kalaupapa until he died from Hansen's disease, then called leprosy, in 1889.

Besides building churches and helping create infrastructure for the settlement, he's been credited with establishing a sense of dignity and care for what were then considered by many the least of their brothers.

Damien was beatified in 1995, and last summer was cleared to become a saint.

The Diocese of Honolulu's Bishop Larry Silva was expected to be on hand at the Vatican for the occasion early today. He was invited to the festivities by the head of Damien's Sacred Hearts Order, based in Rome.

In Hawai'i, Catholics plan to celebrate the news with a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace Downtown at 5 p.m. today.

While in Rome for the consistory, Silva plans to do preparatory work for the canonization trip in the fall.

Another Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated by the Rev. Marc Alexander, diocesan vicar general, at 9 a.m. tomorrow in Kalaupapa for the residents.