What's New
August 2010
Anniversary of Mother Marianne's Death
~Sharing Reflections on August 9, 2010
by Sister Marise May at the Syracuse Motherhouse in New York
“…before this reaches you I shall have reached the good old age of 64. . . Of these 64 years I have spent 40 years in religion. I am wondering how many more our dear Sweet Lord will allow me to spend for Him. I do not think of reward, I am working for God, and do so cheerfully. . . .How many graces did He not shower down upon me, from my birth till now—should I live a thousand years I could not in ever so small a degree thank Him for His gifts and blessings. –I do not expect a high place in heaven – I shall be thankful for a little corner where I may love God for all eternity.” ~Mother Marianne Cope, January 16, 1902, in a letter to her nephew Paul Cope Reading at Mass by Sr. Frances Ann Thom |
When Mother Marianne wrote that letter, now so familiar to us, she was about to celebrate her 64th birthday. She had no way of knowing then that she would have another sixteen years to serve God, and the “forty years in religion” would grow beyond her Golden Jubilee.
On August 9, 1918, Mother Marianne gained her “Little Corner” in heaven, perhaps a more exalted place than she expected!
From there she continues to pray for the conversion of those who have lost their way, and to intercede for the many today who beg her help.
We tend to focus on these petitions, hoping expectantly for the miracles that will bring her that final step to canonization.
But let’s go back a dozen years or so – before there was a beatification. After extensive research into her life, Mother was first named a Servant of God, and then she was declared Venerable. The exhaustive work into her words and deeds had convinced the Congregation in Rome of her heroic virtue. Without a doubt, Marianne Cope had lived the Beatitudes!
- She became poor with those impoverished by leprosy, having lost everything.
- She mourned with the patients who had to give up their babies and lost loved ones to the disease.
- She was gentle as she humbly treated their illness.
- Her hunger and thirst for justice for the people of Kalaupapa led her to go to the authorities for just treatment for them.
- Her mercy and compassion endeared her to patients and to her sisters.
- She was single-hearted in her total devotion to God, seeing Jesus crucified in those suffering people.
- And Mother was certainly a peacemaker, bringing order and dignity into the lives of these desperate people.
It is the life of Mother Marianne of Molokai that we honor on this 82nd anniversary of her death.
And what an unexpected turn our community took when Rev. Mother Marianne stepped out of the office of General Minister to remain in Hawaii among the lepers.
Mother Marianne moved the cheese!
And her sisters found her new cheese wonderful. Over a hundred vocations came to us from the Islands, adding a distinctive cultural flavor to the community, and many varied ministries evolved there over the years.
We can be sure that Blessed Marianne smiles her approval on us today, as she sees us venture into new things and to weave our common heart from the many strands of our regions!
Mother would exhort us in the same way St. Peter did in the first reading:
- Let your love for one another be constant.
- Be mutually hospitable.
- Put your gifts in the service of one another.
And when changes frighten you, remain calm so that you will be able to pray!
May our Blessed Mother Marianne watch over and protect us always!