As the city of Leuven will be closed to all traffic on Sunday, May 10, due to sporting events, the celebration in honor of Damien was brought forward by one week.
The event began with a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Steven Wielandts, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Mechelen-Brussels, concelebrated with Juan Carlos Tinjacá (Delegation Superior), Ferry Indrianto, Jef Tops, and Quentin Huillard.
St. Anthony’s Chapel was full (200 people attended), and the celebration was animated by two choirs. After the celebration, the annual Damien Prize was awarded.
This year, there were 14 nominees. The Damien Prize (an artwork representing Damien, created by sculptor Willy Peeters) will be awarded in 2026 to “De Eenzame Uitvaart” (“The Lonely Funeral”), a social and literary project in which poets offer a final poetic farewell to people who, for the most part, were abandoned during their lives and are buried without the presence of loved ones. The project is active in several cities in Belgium and the Netherlands, including Leuven itself.
The Damien Prize Jury believes that De Eenzame Uitvaart (“The Lonely Funeral”) gives special attention to people who are forgotten until their death, who had no one to accompany them, or whose passing is mourned by no one. This strongly recalls Damien, who accompanied lepers — forgotten and rejected — until their final moments. Damien did not write poems, but he endeavored to build coffins for the deceased in order to provide them with a dignified burial. At every funeral, he tried to involve others and ensure that no one was buried alone.
In our time, in a world marked by indifference and alienation, this initiative appeared to us as a meaningful sign recognizing the dignity of every human being, even in that great moment of solitude: dying and being buried alone, without one’s fellow human beings. The jury thanks all the collaborators of De Eenzame Uitvaart, who embody Damien’s spirit in a contemporary way.
“De Eenzame Uitvaart is a worthy recipient of the Damien Prize 2026,” said Father Juan Carlos Tinjacá, Superior of the Delegation of the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts in Flanders.
After a visit to the tomb of Saint Damien, a reception was organized for everyone present in the church.
05/09/2026