A second bronze cast is displayed in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the United States Capitol,[1] along with the Kamehameha Statue.

The landmark memorializes the famous Hawaiʻi Catholic Church priest from Belgium who sacrificed his life for the lepers of the island of Molokaʻi.

Father Damien is considered one of the preeminent heroes of Hawaiʻi, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 11, 2009.

Commission members favored the contemporary feel and look of the Escobar design as opposed to the classical representations of Father Damien that others submitted.

[5] Other statues of Father Damien are located in the United States Capitol as well as in Belgium, in the cities of Brussels, Leuven and Tremelo, his place of birth.