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Ira Dutton was born into a Protestant household on April 27, 1843 in Stowe, Vermont. When he was 18-years old, Ira was living in Wisconsin. There, he taught Sunday school and worked in a bookstore. Ira also liked to write about his life in journals.
When the Civil War broke out, Ira wrote how this was a very exciting time for him. In September of 1861, he enlisted in the Thirteenth Wisconsin Infantry Regiment fighting for the Union – (the northern states of the United States). Even though his regiment did not have many battle experiences, he rose to the rank of Captain.
Ira was discharged in 1866, because after the Civil War had ended, there was not much need for so many people of his military rank.
When he got out of the army, Ira got married to a woman notorious for her promiscuity. His friends warned him against the marriage, but he wouldn’t listen to them. In a short time, Ira discovered that his friends had been right. His wife cheated on him and was a shopaholic. Not only did she run away with another man, she spent all of his money. Ira kept hoping that one day she would return to him, but she never did. So, he finally divorced her in 1881.
During the next two decades, Ira had many jobs. He worked in cemeteries, oversaw a distillery in Alabama, and worked on railroads in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1875, he joined the War Department settling claims that were brought against the government.
Though he was a good worker, Ira was what today we would call a “functioning alcoholic.” Every night and weekend, he would drink alcohol to excess. In 1876, however, he was so ashamed of his double life that he vowed never to drink again. This pledge, he kept for the rest of his life. At his death, he could claim 55 years of continuous sobriety.
In 1883, on his fortieth birthday, Ira became a Catholic Christian and changed his name from “Ira” to “Joseph” in honor of his favorite saint. Joseph then retired from government and set out to begin a new life. He wanted this new life to be one of penance for what he called his “wild years” and “sinful capers.”
The first thing he did in his new life was to live at the Trappist monastery of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Kentucky for 20 months. He concluded that to serve God more fully, he should live an active, apostolic life instead of a contemplative one. It was at this time that Joseph heard about the famous Father Damien who was working with lepers on the island of Molokai, one of the Hawaiian Islands. He determined to give his life to help Fr. Damien.
In 1886, three years before Fr. Damien died, Joseph arrived in Hawaii, filled with the missionary zeal that all missionaries feel when they begin their missionary experience. This intense missionary fire never left him.
Joseph soon found his way into the hearts of the people of Molokai. And though he never took vows as a religious brother, people began calling him “Brother Joseph.” They soon began relying on him for many things. Joseph was a jack-of-all-trades doing whatever needed to be done. If Fr. Damien needed an administrator, Brother Joseph would be an administrator. Sometimes he would be a carpenter. Other times, he would nurse the sick and assist professional nurses in their duties. Other time he would be a repairman or a basketball coach or simply be a consoler of the sick and the dying.
Right before he died, Fr. Damien – who is now known as Saint Damien, told everyone that he could die in peace knowing that Brother Joseph would take his place.
And Brother Joseph did continue Fr. Damien’s work, and he did so joyfully. In fact, he was known for being a jovial and peaceful person. When he was 83-years old, Joseph wrote in his journal how his natural inclination was to be jolly. He reported that he was always ready to laugh, that a laugh was always just waiting to break out.
When people would ask him if he would like to take a vacation, he dismissed the idea. To him, no place could be as happy or fulfilling as working on Molokai. For him, a vacation would be more like a form of slavery.
Brother Joseph served the people of Molokai faithfully and joyfully for 45 years. Before his death, he wrote, “It has been a happy place – a happy life.”
Today, the Diocese of Honolulu is advancing Brother Joseph Dutton’s cause for the journey to sainthood, and he is now known as Servant of God Joseph Dutton.
