KAPAIA — Sister Florence Remata, the director of religious education at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Kapaia, will be making a pilgrimage to St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican to see the beatification of Mother Marianne Cope, a Roman Catholic nun who worked with leprosy patients at Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka‘i for more than 30 years.
Sixteen Franciscan associates from Kaua‘i, or lay people who are dedicated to learning the life and the spirit of Saint Francis, Saint Claire and Mother Marianne, will join her, as will her cousin and his wife from Honolulu.
But it was only through divine intervention that the trip was made possible.
Last month, Mother Marianne’s remains were exhumed from her Moloka‘i grave and returned to the Syracuse, N.Y., Franciscan motherhouse where she lived before moving to Hawai‘i.
Sister Florence attended the exhumation, bringing back tales of her experience to the Kaua‘i sisters of Saint Francis. When the Pope declared that Mother Marianne would be beatified, the sisters could barely contain their excitement.
“They said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great to go?’” recalled Sister Florence. “And I said, ‘Yes, it would. Let’s plan a pilgrimage.’”
The planning had to happen fast. No one expected Mother Marianne’s beatification to get on the Pope’s calendar so quickly.
“We had such a short time to plan,” said Sister Florence. “It is scheduled for Pentecost Sunday, May 15, the first day of the Catholic church.”
That was only a few months away.
So she contacted a travel-agent friend, who recommended Betty Wood in California, who had connections with people in Rome. She immediately began working on an itinerary for the group.
The planning almost came to a halt, however, when Wood delivered some bad news to Sister Florence.
“She said she had called six places to stay, but they were all full,” Sister Florence said. “She had one more contact to try, so we prayed to Mother Marianne for a miracle.”
It worked. Cook called a Dominican-priest friend who found accommodations: a pensione, which is a bed-and-breakfast type facility owned by a religious community that is open to tourists. A group that had reserved the space two years ago just called to cancel, leaving an opening for Sister Florence and her sojourners.
“It was divine intervention,” she said.
Cook is still working on the final travel arrangements, but the group will depart on May 11 and return on May 20. They plan to tour Assisi, where Saint Francis and Saint Claire were born, as well as the various basilicas of the area.
But the highlight of the pilgrimage will be the beatification ceremony in the Vatican on May 15.
“Just the experience of being there will be so valuable,” Sister Florence said. “To be a part of the celebration.”
Once Mother Marianne is beatified, another miracle is required for her to be canonized as a saint. The first was when an anonymous girl was completely healed, thanks to the intercessory prayers of Mother Marianne.
“Wouldn’t it be incredible if Father Damien (de Veuster) and Mother Marianne were canonized at the same time?” Sister Florence asked.
Mother Marianne worked with Father Damien in Kalaupapa, where they both cared for patients stricken with Hansen’s disease, or leprosy. Father Damien was beatified in 1995, and awaits review of a second miracle before being given sainthood.
To learn more about Mother Marianne Cope, Sister Florence has several and adults. Please call Immaculate Conception’s church office at 245-2432 for more information.
Wendy Bedwell-Wilson, lifestyle writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 226) or wwilson@pulitzer.net.
