Bishop of Honolulu on Saint Mother Marianne Cope

Nice coverage by Father Daren.

Saint Mother Marianne Cope Comes Home to Hawaii

Today was a festive day in Hawaii as Bishop Silva enshrined the earthly remains of our beloved mother of the outcasts in the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace.

Father Daren Z.

Our beloved bishop Larry Silva

Hawaiian Royal Societies 

Saint Marianne's remains enters the Cathedral Basilica

Procession of priests

Procession into the Cathedral Basilica for midday prayer

Media coverage as the faithful approached St. Mother Marianne's relic for veneration

Hawaii Prepares for the Newest Saint

The following are a couple of photos I took this morning at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Downtown Honolulu.

If you would like to follow the pilgrims from Hawaii, please check out The Hawaii Catholic Herald blog.

 For those of you in Hawaii who would like to venerate our newest saint's relic, you can find out a date and place that is convenient or assigned to your vicariate here at the  Diocese of Honolulu website

News Regarding Bl. Mother Marianne Cope - Saints and Siblings

Someone one Twitter tweeted this fascinating story. Enjoy!

Saints and Siblings

Monsignor Paul J.E. Burkard, the man behind the cause for Father Nelson Baker's canonization, knows exactly where to search for good advice on navigating the Vatican's oftentimes perplexing saint-making process.

He simply picks up the telephone and calls his sister in Syracuse, who already has helped guide the candidacy of Blessed Marianne Cope, a nun who ministered to lepers for more than 30 years, to the brink of canonization.

"We talk about it frequently," Burkard said .

Blessed Marianne Cope from state of New York is one step away from being declared a Saint

Expert on Bl. Mother Marianne Cope Dies

I was saddened to learn of the passing of Sister Mary Laurence Hanley.  Just the other day on one of the blog posts, I recommended her book on Bl. Mother Marianne Cope, A Song of Pilgrimage and Exile.

Hawaii Catholic Herald's Sister Mary Laurence Hanley dies.

I had the privilege of having an email communication with Sister a few years back. If I remember correctly, she contacted me about a blog post she disagreed with.  I dared to mention that Brother Joseph Dutton may one day follow in the saintly footsteps of Saint Damien and Bl. Mother Marianne Cope. This was certainly something Sister really disagreed about. She was very pleasant and friendly in all her emails back and forth. But she maintained her position that Brother Dutton not be a candidate for sainthood. She had her reasons. She was often told me to do my own research with all the archival materials at my disposal in Hawaii. She indicated that I would then draw the same conclusion.

Unfortunately, I never got around to doing that research and little by little we stopped emailing.

Even though we, the Church Militant, may be sad that she did not live to see her hero canonized. I doubt very much Sister is disappointed. After all, she will probably be there to congratulate Mother Marianne Cope in person!

Soon and Very Soon...A Second Saint for Hawaii

Statue of Bl. Mother Marianne Cope in Kakaako

By now you must have read the news: Vatican brings Hawaii closer to gaining 2nd saint

A nun who dedicated her life to caring for exiled leprosy patients is a step closer to sainthood after the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints recommended her canonization on Tuesday.

I think Hawaii will be the only state in the union with two saints!

Bl. Mother Marianne Cope's Relic - Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Honolulu

This is wonderful news and I am sure everyone in Hawaii is excited about Bl. Mother Marianne Cope finally that much closer to being canonized.  I must admit it is only recently that I have grown to appreciate the work she did for the Hansen's Disease patients in Kalaupapa.  Before that, it bothered me that Saint Damien, then Father Damien, had so much opposition to his tireless work with those patients.  It also bothered me that it took so long before Mother Marianne Cope and her sisters finally went to help Father Damien.  I realize now how unselfishly she gave of herself.  And, of course, I have a devotion to her too.

"We thank God that the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of the Saints has approved a petition to ask Pope Benedict XVI to officially declare Blessed Marianne Cope, OSF, a saint of the Church. We are particularly joyful in Hawaii, because of Blessed Marianne's worked here, but her example of selfless love can soon be an inspiration to all the world. She was a woman who brought hope and joy to people who had good reason to lose hope and to lament their condition in life. At this time when so many people are losing hope because of our economy and the increased unrest throughout the world, Blessed Marianne inspires us to work simply for the good of others and to allow God to work miracles through the simple things we do. We look forward to honoring this holy woman in our celebrations, and most of all by our faith in the God who begins and sustains every good work among us."

- Statement by Bishop Larry Silva, Diocese of Honolulu.

Background of Barbara Cope (Bl. Mother Marianne Cope)

January 23, 1838 - Born to Peter and Barbara Koob (Cope) in the German Grand Ducy of Hesse-Darmstadt

In 1840, Koob family settled in Utica, New York

In August, 1862, entered the Sisters of the Third Oder of St. Francis, in Syracuse, N ew York
In 1877, elected Second Provencal Mother of the Syracuse Franciscans

Source: Mother Marianne of Molokai

Source

"Reverend Sister Maryanne, Matron of the Bishop Home":


To see the infinite pity of this place,
The mangled limb, the devastated face,
The innocent sufferers smiling at the rod,
A fool were tempted to deny his God.


He sees, and shrinks; but if he look again,
Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain! -
He marks the sisters on the painful shores,
And even a fool is silent and adores.

- Robert Louis Stevenson, Kalawao, May 22, 1889

Recommended reading and source of the above is A Song of Pilgrimage and Exile: The Life and Spirit of Mother Marianne of Molokai by Sister Mary Laurence Hanley, O.S.F. and O.A. Bushnell.

Franciscan Sisters giving diocese Blessed Marianne relic

...The Sisters of St. Francis are giving the relic to the diocese at the request of Bishop Larry Silva.

The relic is being transported in a carved and polished mahogany reliquary the size of a small shoebox rounded at both ends. In the cathedral, the reliquary will be placed in a case similar to the seven-foot-high koa and glass cabinet to the right of the sanctuary that houses a relic of St. Damien. Blessed Marianne’s relic will be placed to the left of the sanctuary opposite Damien’s...

The Hawaii Catholic Herald article can be read in its entirety here.

New Blessed Mother Marianne Cope Statue

 

  

  

 

Photos by Esther G.

This beautiful new statue overlooks the waters off of Kewalo Basin in Honolulu.

A Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson - Mother Marianne Cope

I am currently reading Faith in Paradise, by Maggie Bunson. It is a book about the history of the Catholic Church in Hawaii. I found out that famed writer Robert Louis Stevenson, who is famous for having defended Father Damien, also wrote a poem dedicated to Mother Marianne Cope.

Reverend Sister Marianne
Matron of the Bishop Home, Kalaupapa

To see the infinite pity of this place,

The mangled limb, the devastated face,

The innocent sufferers smiling at the rod,

A fool were tempted to deny his God.


He sees, and shrinks; but if he look again,

Lo, beauty springing from the breast of pain!—

He marks the sisters on the painful shores,

And even a fool is silent and adores.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Kalawao, May 22, 1889

Source: Blessed Mother Marianne Cope

Visiting Blessed Mother Marianne Cope's Grave

One of the first stops on our pilgrimage was at Blessed Mother Marianne Cope's grave site. Mother Marianne Cope nor the sisters ever contracted Hansen's Disease even though they were in constant contact with the patients. She died in her sleep after suffering a heart attack. She her wish was to be buried on Kalaupapa.

Blessed Mother Marianne Cope

The Diocese of Honolulu celebrated the 125th anniversary of the arrival of Blessed Mother Marianne Cope to the Hawaiian islands. There was a procession reenacting Mother Marianne Cope and the sisters arriving at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. They were greeted at the Cathedral, the same Cathedral where soon-to-be saint Damien of Molokai was ordained by Bishop Larry Silva.

Joey and I were there for Confession. We could not stay for the celebration itself but were able to get a few photos on our way home.

Easter of Mostly Prayers attended the Mass with her family. Please visit her blog for more pictures and post on this beautiful celebration.

Related story Kakaako Could be the New Home of Mother Marianne Cope Memorial.