History

Earl Conner, an Episcopalian minister, became alarmed at the growing AIDS crisis in Indianapolis. He envisioned a coordinated community response by uniting existing groups within one facility. He received the support of Christ Church Cathedral (Episcopal) and the Cathedral of Saints Peter & Paul (Catholic) to establish the Damien Center in April of 1987.

Since then, the Center has provided care to thousands of persons infected by HIV and their friends and families and has become a leader in HIV prevention, education, awareness, and advocacy.

The Center is named after the Blessed Father Damien, a Belgian Catholic priest famed for his compassionate care for those affected by Hansen' Disease (leprosy) on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. Fr. Damien battled the religious and societal rejection of Hansen’s Disease victims, living with and among them in the Molokai “lepers’ colony” from 1873 until his death from Hansen' Disease in 1889. Fr. Damien was beatified by Pope John Paul II and is expected eventually to become a saint. His feast day is April 15.

Though founded as an inter-faith collaboration, the Damien Center is a fully independent, non-sectarian not-for-profit public corporation.