Father Damien de Veuster was always a personal hero for Wayne Messmer. And since November, Messmer, who is known to Chicago Wolves and Cub fans as Mr. National Anthem, has portrayed his hero in the one-man play “Damien” by Aldyth Morris in a Winnetka chapel. “Damien” tells the story of Father de Veuster, whom Pope Benedict canonized in October and who devoted his life to ministry to more than 8,000 lepers on the island of Molokai (now part of Hawaii) in the mid-1800s. Both Messmer and Deacon Don Grossnickle, executive director of Stauros U.S.A, which is Messmer’s spiritual partner in the venture, said that the world needs to hear the message of St. Damien’s life and mission now more than ever. The man and saint St. Damien was a Belgian-born missionary priest who served patients with Hansen’s disease on Molokai in Hawaii more than a century ago. Through his heroic and saintly efforts, he transformed the settlement from a place of despair to a place of dignity. He died April 15, 1889, of leprosy. Pope John Paul II beatified the priest June 4, 1995, in Brussels, Belgium. Pope Benedict canonized him on Oct. 11. He is the patron saint of HIV and AIDS sufferers, as well as lepers. “Damien was one against the government, one against hysteria, and one against the most feared disease in the history of mankind,” said Grossnickle. Messmer believes the suffering in today’s world makes St. Damien’s message current. “We still ignore people who truly need some help,” said Messmer. To the people The first performance of “Damien” took place in 1997, and Messmer’s first personal performance occurred six years ago during the first Festival of Faith held in November 2003 at Navy Pier. But it is not the exact same performance. “I really deepened my feeling for this story with the canonization,” said Messmer. Recently, he and his wife, Kathleen, took a trip to Molokai. “It was a reflective pilgrimage walking where St. Damien worked, lived and died. The story is more personal now than ever,” said Messmer. Grossnickle, who has seen the play many times, says that Messmer inspires him each time. “He plays with energy and enthusiasm. Every time I watch it, I see and hear different dimensions of the play,” said Grossnickle. Performances take place once a month from November through April in the historic Winnetka Chapel at Pine and Lincoln in downtown Winnetka. The next performance is 8 p.m. Jan. 23. The chapel, which holds 200 people, is an intimate place for a play, the actor said. “While it is not a church building, it provides a wonderful venue for the story because there is still the pulpit, the altar and the stained glass,” said Messmer. Besides the performances done at Winnetka Chapel, Deacon Grossnickle and Messmer accept invitations from parishes. “Right now many parishes are booking ‘Damien’ during Lent for the theme of reconciliation and self sacrifice,” said Grossnickle. The play is not recommended for children. Tickets are $20 with the proceeds benefiting three different charities. One of them is Stauros U.S.A., which provides help to people with disabilities.