Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu has announced a relic of Father Damien will be brought to Hawai'i following his canonization ceremonies in Rome later this year.

Silva yesterday said that the relic — normally a piece of bone — will be for permanent veneration at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. That's where Damien was ordained a priest in 1864.

Damien's canonization is scheduled for Oct. 11, with Pope Benedict XVI presiding.

Silva, or a priest designated by him, will accompany the relic as it travels from Rome to the Big Island and then to Maui, Lana'i, Kaua'i and Moloka'i before reaching Honolulu on Nov. 1.

Damien died in 1889 and was buried at the Kalaupapa leprosy settlement. In 1936, his body was moved to his native Belgium.