EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH
One finds fulfillment in struggle

By Sister Beatrice Tom

Mother Marianne Cope's story does not take place far away. Her life is about local things, normal things and deeds that can be accomplished, that are within reach.

Yet her accomplishments are profound.

As the first woman missionary leader helping Hawai'i's patients of Hansen's disease, Mother Marianne left a legacy of schools, orphanages and hospitals on four islands. She also was a founding member of two of the first Catholic hospitals in the United States.

We are all faced with new challenges at various times in our lives. Like Mother Marianne, we are asked to journey into strange territories and to face untold uncertainties. We are asked to recognize and answer our challenges.

Mother Marianne and other Sisters of St. Francis came to Hawai'i from Syracuse, N.Y., in 1883. Their mission was to serve the sick and poor of Hawai'i, following the healing ministry of Jesus and the values of St. Francis of Assisi.

Mother Marianne wrote a letter July 12, 1883, to Father Leonor Fouesnel, a missionary in Hawai'i, responding to his urgent request that religious communities come and help care for leprosy patients.

"I am hungry for the work, I wish with all my heart to be one of the chosen ones," she wrote. "I am not afraid of any disease; hence, it would be my greatest delight to minister to the abandoned lepers. Waking and sleeping, I am on the Islands. Do not laugh at me for being so wholly absorbed in that one wish, one thought, to be a worker in that large field."

Later, in 1927, there was an urgent need for hospitals willing to offer treatment to the poor. With donations made in appreciation of the Sisters' work, St. Francis Hospital was built on Liliha Street.

Some of my own experiences working in New York City have presented me with challenges. I worked with teens at risk, drug addicts, women in need and in crime-filled neighborhoods. Despite the challenges, the work always was fulfilling. I felt a sense of mission. I felt I made a difference. I knew I was doing what I was called to do.

Challenges are not always easy. I've found great guidance in praying for answers. Divine intervention often comes in the form of support from my community of sisters, friends, family and an administrative team and staff that allows me to be one of the guardians of the vision.

Mother Marianne died in Kalaupapa on Aug. 9, 1918. The Sisters continue their work on Moloka'i.

The life and death of Mother Marianne tells us of a woman who was a dedicated worker, who loved the Lord. We too can practice this. Mother Marianne lived and practiced the ordinary things that we live and are called to practice as she was called.

Sister Beatrice Tom is chief executive officer of St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawai'i, which is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a special Mass today.

Expressions of Faith is a column that welcomes written works by pastors, priests, lay workers and other leaders in faith and spirituality. E-mail faith@honoluluadvertiser.com or call 525-8035.