Exhumation of Cope commences
By Timothy Hurley
Advertiser Maui County Bureau
The exhumation of Mother Marianne Cope formally began in Kalaupapa yesterday after a sacred but joyous Mass and procession to her gravesite.
"Someone said coming here was like going on a pilgrimage, a holy and reverential journey," said Sister Marion Kikukawa, vice postulator for Cope's cause.
There were a few anxious moments as the forensic team had to dig a little deeper than originally thought. Initial estimates indicated the coffin was buried 2 to 4 feet underground, but the team didn't reach wood and nails until nearly 5 feet.
The exhumation began at about 10 a.m. Team members used shovels, switching to trowels and even smaller instruments the deeper they dug. Screens were used to sift through the soil.
The coffin was uncovered three and a half hours later, and the first traces of human remains were revealed about an hour after that, Kikukawa said.
The forensic team, lead by anthropologist Vince Sava, is confident they will complete the retrieval of remains by tomorrow. The remains will be cleaned and prepared by Thursday and ready for transport by Friday, when they are scheduled to leave the island, Kikukawa said.
Cope spent 30 years caring for patients who had been banished to the lonely Moloka'i peninsula because they suffered from Hansen's disease, formerly known as leprosy. She died at Kalaupapa in 1918, and a tall white monument marks her grave.
Cope may be on her way to sainthood. Last month, the Vatican accepted a miracle attributed to Cope's intercession, clearing the way for beatification. The church must accept a second miracle before Cope can be named a saint.
Sunday was the 167th anniversary of Cope's birth, and the event was observed with an evening prayer service followed by a candlelight procession to the gravesite.
Yesterday, the Rev. Thomas Gross, acting administrator of the Honolulu Diocese, presided over a Mass celebrating the life of Mother Marianne. Music was performed by members of the St. John Vianney and Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace choirs.
After the procession to the gravesite, the Rev. Joseph Grimaldi, vicar general of the Honolulu Diocese, opened the diocesan tribunal and proclaimed the start of the exhumation process.
A volunteer team of forensic experts from the Pentagon's premier identification lab on O'ahu began its work as a crowd gathered around the grave.
Masses are being held every morning this week at Kalaupapa, ending with a "Mass of Aloha" Friday morning, followed by a farewell luncheon for the Kalaupapa community. Events will continue in Honolulu until Feb. 1, when Cope's remains will travel to the Mother House of her religious order, the Sisters of St. Francis, in Syracuse, N.Y.
Reach Timothy Hurley at (808) 244-4880 or thurley@honoluluadvertiser.com.
