What's New

March 2008

A PHOTO DESTINED FOR THE MOTHER MARIANNE MUSEUM

by Darlene Yamrose, Cause Office Assistant   

The framed photo of Kalaupapa hangs on the walls of the Mother Marianne Museum in Syracuse, NY.

“When I saw this picture, I instantly knew of a home for it," said Terry Scanlon, an Associate of the Sisters of Saint Francis and a regular volunteer at the Blessed Marianne Museum in Syracuse, New York. 

In October of 2007, Terry and his wife, Helen, celebrated their 35^th wedding anniversary by taking a 10 day trip to the Hawaiian Islands at the invitation of Sr. Agnelle Ching, their original companion sister.  After they arrived, they went to dinner in Chinatown with Sr. Agnelle.  “Coincidentally", said Terry, “the artist who took the picture was having a show close by so we went to the gallery, and that’s when I saw it." 

The artist was Kim Taylor Reece, the award winning photographer who shot the Kalaupapa Collection used for the 125^th Anniversary Calendar that was issued by the Sisters of St. Francis in Hawaii.  (The picture is featured for the month of February in the calendar.)

From the moment he saw it, Terry knew the picture was destined for the Museum in Syracuse.

Over the course of his stay, Terry discussed his feelings about the picture with his wife, Helen, and both were in agreement that they should purchase it for the museum at the asking price of $400.  However, before they made the purchase, Sr. Agnelle introduced them to Gene and Mary Tiwanak, good friends of the artist.  When they heard why Terry and his wife wanted the picture, they offered to go to the artist and explain the situation and procure the picture for them.  Mr. Reece generously donated the picture, and the Tiwanaks sent it on to Terry and Helen four weeks later.  Then they had the picture mounted and framed [40 inches length by 30 inches height] at their own expense, and donated it to the Blessed Marianne Cope Museum in November of 2007. 

 “My wife and I feel a stronger association with Mother Marianne since we visited Kalaupapa, as we had a little taste of what she experienced.   Kalaupapa is beautiful, but desolate."

 “I felt Mother Marianne was leading me down a path," said Terry.  “The picture truly shows the isolation you feel when you’re there."    He feels the picture will help people, who had never been to Kalaupapa and experienced it firsthand, to better understand how Mother Marianne and the other sisters lived.  

Photo of Kalaupapa by Kim Taylor Reece