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CELEBRATING 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF OUR SISTERS IN HAWAII
HONOLULU—The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities will commemorate their significant 125th anniversary year with special activities in celebration of Mother Marianne’s Feast Day in January. Special liturgies, an original mele, awards program, a mosaic blessing, and presentations on Mother Marianne Cope are some of the ways the Sisters’ ministries throughout the islands will honor her feast day, officially observed Jan. 23—her birthday. The events are open to the public except where noted.
“Mother Marianne is the reason the Sisters of St. Francis are in Hawaii,” said Sister William Marie Eleniki, OSF, regional minister of the Sisters of St. Francis-Hawaii. “Mother Marianne, who came in 1883, spent 35 years in Hawaii, caring for Hansen’s disease patients in Honolulu and at Kalaupapa, as well as opening hospitals and schools. She is our legacy and continues to guide us in our mission of serving Hawaii’s people.”
Activities include:
- Mother Marianne’s Feast Day Celebration at Kalaupapa, Saturday, Jan. 19 at 10:30 a.m., St. Francis Church, Kalaupapa, Molokai. Liturgy and celebration honoring Blessed Marianne Cope followed by lunch.
- Honoring Our Stars’ Labor of Love, Wednesday, Jan. 23 at Ala Moana Hotel. St. Francis Healthcare System will present Mother Marianne Awards, Employee Service Awards and will honor the Health Services for Senior Citizens team on its 25th anniversary, the St. Francis Home Care Services-Kauai team on its 30th anniversary and the Mobile Care Health Project for its dedication in providing dental care to the uninsured and underinsured on the Island of Hawaii. Comedian Frank De Lima will serve as emcee. (private event)
- Mother Marianne’s Feast Day Mass, Wednesday, Jan. 23, Maria Lanakila Church and Sacred Hearts School in Lahaina, Maui. In January, St. Anthony Parish and High School/Grade School in Wailuku will have a liturgy, and Christ the King Parish in Kahului and St. Rita Parish in Haiku will also celebrate liturgies in honor of Blessed Marianne.
- 125th Anniversary Celebration Liturgy, Wednesday, Jan. 23 at 7 p.m., Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa in Honolulu. In celebration of Mother Marianne’s Feast Day, Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Larry Silva, deacons and priests. Prelude to the Mass will feature an original mele in honor of Mother Marianne Cope by Sean Tiwanak with assistance from Roland Cazimero and kumu hula Blaine Kia and hula dancers. Refreshments to follow. 687-3420
- Blessing of Mother Marianne Mosaic, Sunday, Jan. 27 at 9:30 a.m., Immaculate Conception Parish in Lihue, Kauai. Mass followed by a blessing of a mosaic of Mother Marianne Cope by artist Karen Lucas and Sister Dorothy Santos.
1-808-245-2432
- 125th Anniversary Mass, Sunday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m., St. Joseph Parish in Hilo. Mass will include a celebration of the 125th Anniversary of the arrival of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities in Hawaii, followed by a reception. 1-808-935-4936, Ext. 223 or 226
Mother Marianne was beatified in May 2005 in Vatican City. Beatification is the last, major step before sainthood.
Other 125th anniversary events in 2008 include:
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Benefit Musical Concert, August 2008 at the Hawaii Convention Center featuring a national act.
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125th Anniversary of the Sisters’ Arrival in Hawaii, Saturday, Nov. 8 at noon, Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu. Reenactment of the Sisters’ arrival in Hawaii featuring a horse-drawn carriage down Fort Street Mall to the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace for a closing liturgy. Hawaiian organizations and hula dancers will also participate. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Larry Silva, deacons and priests.
For more information on the Sisters of St. Francis’ anniversary events, please call 687-3420.
Immaculate Conception Parish on Kauai Commissions Mosaic of Mother Marianne Cope
Oahu Artists Create 36” X 60” Mosaic
HONOLULU—Artist Karen Lucas and Sacred Hearts Sister Dorothy Santos, both of Oahu, are putting the final touches on a mosaic of Blessed Marianne Cope for display in Immaculate Conception Church in Lihue, Kauai. This year, 2008, marks the 125th Anniversary of the arrival of Mother Marianne and the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities in Hawaii to care for patients with Hansen’s disease. The 36” X 60” mosaic will be completed in time for the Mass in celebration of Mother Marianne’s Feast Day, to be observed by the parish on Sunday, Jan. 27.
Sister Dorothy and Joseph Chang had created a mosaic of Father Damien DeVeuster for Immaculate Conception Church in 2005. Parish officials felt a mosaic of Mother Marianne would make a nice complement.
“When I saw the beautiful mosaic of Father Damien, I just knew our parish had to also have a mosaic of Blessed Marianne,” said Franciscan Sister Florence Remata, OSF, Director of Catechetical Ministry at Immaculate Conception Parish. “The Sisters of St. Francis are grateful to Father William Shannon for approving this project.” The Mother Marianne mosaic will be installed on the wall opposite of the Father Damien mosaic in the church. Parishioners generously contributed toward payment for the mosaic.
“I saw the partially finished mosaic in November, and I was very pleased on how it was turning out,” Sister Florence added.
The mosaic, which uses small colored glass, ceramic and gold tile pieces and smooth black stones, is a replica of a well-known formal portrait of Mother Marianne. Sister Dorothy added scenes of Kalaupapa as a backdrop, including Father Damien’s grave and the cliffs of Kalawao. St. Francis’ Tau cross in gold tiles is prominently displayed in the bottom right hand corner. “I’m especially pleased with how her face, fingers and prayer book have turned out,” said Sister Dorothy.
“I learned how to make mosaics from Karen in 1996 after I retired as a primary school teacher,” said Sister Dorothy, who is 86. Lucas began the process with the existing picture of Mother Marianne, making a stencil and enlarging it with the use of an overhead projector to draw the pattern onto the mosaic platform board, Sister Dorothy said.
The tile pieces were then cut with tile clippers to fit the image and applied with adhesive. The final process includes applying grout to create a smooth finish and waiting a few days before applying a silicone covering to preserve the mosaic, Sister Dorothy explained. They began making the mosaic in September.
Over the past 11 years, the two have collaborated on numerous mosaic pieces that are displayed in Hawaii, California, Japan, and other places.
“The Mother Marianne mosaic captures her spirit and compassion for Hansen’s disease patients at Kalaupapa,” Sister Florence said. “I thank the two artists for sharing Hawaii’s legacy through their wonderful artwork.”
The finishing touches are currently being done at the Sisters of Sacred Hearts Convent in Honolulu and will be shipped this month to Kauai for a blessing on January 27 at 9:30 a.m. at Immaculate Conception.
The Mother Marianne mosaic installation is among several activities to be held this year at ministries throughout the islands in celebration of the Sisters of St. Francis’ 125th Anniversary in Hawaii. The anniversary theme is, “Women of Vision, Women of Risk –Celebrating 125 Years of Service in Hawaii.”
About Mother Marianne Cope and the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities
Mother Marianne Cope and six Sisters of St. Francis came from Syracuse, New York to Hawaii in 1883, answering the call from King David Kalakaua and government officials to care for patients suffering from Hansen’s disease. Over the years, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities have opened and operated schools and hospitals throughout the islands and have started community health and social service programs for the benefit of Hawaii’s people. Today, the Sisters are formally known as the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities-Hawaii.