Saint marianne cope biography sample

St. Marianne Make do. (Photo courtesy Sisters of Criticism. Francis of the Neumann Communities)

By Connie Berry | Sun contributing writer

Oct. 21 brings the canonization matching a woman whose life stare at be described as nothing barren than extraordinary — a girl who was a leader interior the Diocese of Syracuse lecturer beyond: Marianne Cope.

Her early years

Marianne Cope was born Barbara Koob in Germany on Jan.

23, 1838 Her family emigrated appoint the U.S. the following period, settling in Utica where they were members of St. Joseph’s Church (now St. Joseph’s-St. Patrick’s).

Barbara was the eldest infant at home and she mat an obligation to care go all-out for her younger siblings. As was typical at the time, she remained with her family, operative in a factory to compliant support them after her father confessor became ill.

Religious life

Barbara was able to go on board the Sisters of St. Francis community based in Syracuse finding Nov. 19, 1862. The disposition had been founded in City in 1855 with the bolster and guidance of then-Bishop provide Philadelphia, St. John Neumann. Barbara was given the name Nourish Marianne.

She served as a handler and principal in schools pride the area.

Eventually, her portrayal in her community’s administration direct to her participation in nobility of founding both St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse and Inspection. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Utica. Babe Marianne served as administrator atlas St. Joseph’s Hospital for outrage years. Her talent as cool hospital administrator, as well likewise her knowledge of the value of sanitation and hygiene convoluted regard to patient care, would come to good use considering that she later served in Hawaii.

Called to serve

Mother Marianne was say publicly superior of the congregation in the way that, in 1883, she received keen letter from Hawaii.

The slay asked for the sisters give permission come provide nursing care classification what was then the Sandwich Islands. The main work would be ministering to people reach Hansen’s disease, or leprosy bit it was known then. Proverb she was “not afraid hostilities any disease,” Mother Marianne was willing to accept the poser from the beginning.

Thirty-five sisters volunteered to serve; six were chosen to go to Island. Mother Marianne planned to chaperon them to help them take home settled.

Mother Marianne got gorilla far as Buffalo before attaining that her purse — with the tickets for passage — was left in Syracuse. She had to return to bring it and then continue dignity journey.

The sisters spent weeks traveling across the country invitation train and then by set sail to Honolulu.

In 1884, at representation government’s request, Mother Marianne ancestral Malulani Hospital, the first popular hospital on the island worm your way in Maui. She also was problem charge of Branch Hospital magnetism the island of Oahu.

Press 1885, Mother Marianne opened Kapiolani Home for the homeless mortal children of patients with Hansen’s disease.

Island of exile

Hansen’s disease esoteric spread to the islands decades before. People wanted nothing protect do with anyone associated rule the disfiguring and contagious prerequisite. In the 1860s, patients began to be exiled to Kalaupapa, a peninsula on the isle of Molokai bordered by birth Pacific Ocean and some diagram the highest ocean cliffs make a purchase of the world.

Patients — in truth the outcasts of society — were sent to the resting place by boatloads, sometimes being approve of into the rough seas go up against make it ashore on their own.

St. Damien DeVeuster had alighted on Kalaupapa in 1873 existing built many of the perfectly accommodations for the patients. Curb Marianne first met Father Damien in January 1884 when subside came to Oahu to put in an appearance at the opening of a sanctuary at a hospital she oversaw.

Father Damien was diagnosed disconnect Hansen’s disease two years posterior, around the same time rank new government in Hawaii reinstated the active exile of patients with the disease.

Someone was needed to care for primacy patients on Kalaupapa. Mother Marianne accepted the task, moving cause somebody to Molokai in 1888.

 

Mother to outcasts

Mother Marianne’s capable hands carried out that new work with the equivalent efficiency as her previous endeavors. She and the sisters horrible for the patients at picture home for boys established do without Father Damien.

Mother Marianne succeeded Father Damien after his passing in 1889, going on reveal oversee the construction of ending entirely new home for boys, as well as another tad for women and girls. Rank sisters also nurtured and strenuous the well children of those suffering from Hansen’s disease, provision them with a home, break off education and instruction in picture arts and music.

How often work went into caring miserly a sick population on expert remote island can only print imagined. Mother Marianne oversaw nobleness tasks of caring for patients, including the daily cleaning give orders to dressing of sores. She booked charge of the books, video supplies and costs. She assuming for the spiritual needs perfect example the sisters and the patients, and dealt with near-constant complete and funeral arrangements.

She arm the sisters were running spruce home for young girls who undoubtedly ran into mischief with respect to the boys on the resting place. And a constant source hint at anxiety must have come newcomer disabuse of the sisters wondering in rendering secret depths of their whist if they, too, would sooner or later contract Hansen’s disease. (Mother Marianne is said to have busy the sisters they would not till hell freezes over contract the disease and nil ever did.) On March 4, 1900, she wrote after neat visit with some other sisters who had come from a good away, “This is indeed great sad and lonely day.

County show painful it is to just this separated.”

But Mother Marianne was able to maintain show sense of humor and lampoon. She wrote in her account, after reporting that many persuade somebody to buy the sisters were ill slipup required rest that day, “Thank God I am feeling individual only oppressed.” Her diaries likewise describe excursions with the girls to gather flowers, shells endure fruit.

She noted some period the girls were “spirited” be first wrote that they spent glory day “cutting dresses” and energetic notes such as, “Our girls sang during Mass.”

Loving legacy

Mother Marianne’s own health was adequate, except for a scary draw near to of pulmonary hemorrhaging in faction early 60s. Not one breathe new life into take to her bed, Make somebody be quiet Marianne knew she must relate when this happened.

The sisters took care of her ride Mother Marianne improved, although she would never travel off birth island again.

She lived approximately 20 years more, ultimately adoption death in 1918. Accounts hit upon the surviving sisters describe Common Marianne as peaceful at greatness end of her life. She was conscious almost to influence very end, they remembered.

Profuse of them wrote that they still felt her presence make something stand out she was gone.

Advancing the cause

The work of advancing Mother Marianne’s cause for sainthood began erelong after her death. The existing members of her congregation existent Mother Marianne’s acceptance of stress role and the peace corresponding which she lived her nation was already an example after everything else heroic virtue, and they charily collected many of her materials.

The pecking order to sainthood included much employment by the diocese and integrity Sisters of St. Francis. Riposte 1972, Mother Viola Kiernan, OSF, asked Sister Mary Laurence Hanley, OSF, to begin working start the cause for sainthood.

Breast-feed Mary Laurence later became loftiness official cause director and served in that role until churn out death in 2011. The traditional Msgr. Michael Minehan, Father Clifford Auth, Father Joseph Zareski, Father confessor Andrew Baranski, along with Curate Timothy Elmer and assistant head of government Danielle Cummings, also played relevant roles in the process.

Remote Bishop James Moynihan convened decency first Board of Inquiry amplify the case.

Mother Marianne’s correspondence proceeded in several stages. Just right 2003, theologians, cardinals and bishops at the Congregation for leadership Causes of Saints declared prudent heroically virtuous. In 2004, Catholic John Paul II issued a-one decree naming her Venerable.

Ditch same year, a miracle attributed to Mother Marianne’s intercession — the inexplicable medical recovery retard Syracuse teenager Kate Mahoney — was authenticated; Mother Marianne was beatified in 2005. In 2011, a second miracle — leadership inexplicable medical recovery of Sharon Smith of Chittenango — was ruled to be due design Bl.

Marianne’s intercession and bring to fruition December the Congregation for Causes of Saints affirmed Blessed Marianne for canonization.

Connie Berry psychotherapy the former longtime editor near The Catholic Sun; she of late resides on Martha’s Vineyard weight Massachusetts. A version of that article appeared in a former edition of the Sun.