Posted on: Friday, January 28, 2005

Mother Marianne's exhumation completed

Advertiser Staff

Exhumation of the remains of Mother Marianne Cope was completed Wednesday, capped by a ceremony and prayer service at her Kalaupapa grave. The bones are scheduled to be brought to Honolulu today.

Human remains recovered include a skull, arm and leg bones, plus many fragments. Other items recovered include two crosses, safety pins and a rosary medal.

The Rev. Joseph Grimaldi, vicar general of the Diocese of Honolulu, said the large number of bone fragments may be explained by Cope suffering from osteoporosis, a disease that weakens the bones.

The grave, which turned out to be eight feet deep, was filled back in, with the smallest of the fragments left in the soil.

Cope is expected be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church later this year, the second of three steps to sainthood. Exhumation of the body is required at this stage in the canonization process.