Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale886

I now turn to Marianne Cope, born in 1838 in Heppenheim, Germany.

Only one year old when taken to the United States, in 1862 she entered the

Third Order Regular of Saint Francis at Syracuse, New York. Later, as

Superior General of her congregation, Mother Marianne willingly embraced

a call to care for the lepers of Hawaii after many others had refused. She

personally went, with six of her fellow sisters, to manage a hospital on Oahu,

later founding Malulani Hospital on Maui and opening a home for girls whose

parents were lepers. Five years after that she accepted the invitation to open

a home for women and girls on the island of Molokai itself, bravely going

there herself and effectively ending her contact with the outside world. There

she looked after Father Damien, already famous for his heroic work among

the lepers, nursed him as he died and took over his work among male lepers.

At a time when little could be done for those suffering from this terrible

disease, Marianne Cope showed the highest love, courage and enthusiasm.

She is a shining and energetic example of the best of the tradition of Catholic

nursing sisters and of the spirit of her beloved Saint Francis.

Kateri Tekakwitha was born in today's New York state in 1656 to a

Mohawk father and a Christian Algonquin mother who gave to her a sense

of the living God. She was baptized at twenty years of age and, to escape

persecution, she took refuge in Saint Francis Xavier Mission near Montreal.

There she worked, faithful to the traditions of her people, although renoun-

cing their religious convictions until her death at the age of twenty-four.

Leading a simple life, Kateri remained faithful to her love for Jesus, to prayer

and to daily Mass. Her greatest wish was to know and to do what pleased

God.

Kateri nous impressionne par l'action de la grâce dans sa vie en l'absence

de soutiens extérieurs, et par son courage dans sa vocation si particulière

dans sa culture. En elle, foi et culture s'enrichissent mutuellement! Que son

exemple nous aide à vivre là où nous sommes, sans renier qui nous sommes,

en aimant Jésus! Sainte Kateri, protectrice du Canada et première sainte

amérindienne, nous te confions le renouveau de la foi dans les premières

nations et dans toute l'Amérique du Nord! Que Dieu bénisse les premières

nations!

Anna Schäffer aus Mindelstetten wollte als Jugendliche in einen Missions-

orden eintreten. Da sie aus einfachen Verhältnissen stammte, versuchte sie

die nötige Aussteuer für die Aufnahme ins Kloster als Dienstmagd zu ver-