[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 823 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 823

     Honoring and praising Mother Marianne Cope for her legacy of 
 compassionate care and recognizing her example of what it truly means 
 to dedicate one's life in service to others, especially to those she 
served at the leprosy settlement at Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 29, 2012

  Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Hanna, Ms. Hanabusa, and Ms. Buerkle) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                           on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
     Honoring and praising Mother Marianne Cope for her legacy of 
 compassionate care and recognizing her example of what it truly means 
 to dedicate one's life in service to others, especially to those she 
served at the leprosy settlement at Kalaupapa on the island of Molokai.

Whereas Mother Marianne Cope, O.S.F. was born Barbara Koob in Heppenheim, 
        Germany, on January 23, 1838, and immigrated to the United States the 
        following year, settling in Utica, New York;
Whereas in 1862, at the age 24, she received the religious habit and became a 
        Sister of St. Francis at the Church of St. Mary of the Assumption in 
        Syracuse, New York;
Whereas in 1863, she professed her vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience as a 
        Sister of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis based in Syracuse, 
        New York, was given Mary Anna as her religious name, which in time and 
        usage became Marianne, and began serving as a teacher and principal at 
        several New York elementary schools;
Whereas in 1866, the Hawaiian government forcibly sent individuals with leprosy, 
        now known as Hansen's disease, to the Makanalua peninsula on the island 
        of Molokai, commonly known as Kalaupapa, to prevent further spread of 
        the disease;
Whereas in 1866, Mother Marianne was influential in establishing St. Elizabeth 
        Hospital in Utica, New York, and in 1869, Mother Marianne, as 
        administrator and founder of St. Joseph's Hospital in Syracuse, New 
        York, established the importance of sanitation in the practice of caring 
        for the sick;
Whereas in 1883, as head of the community, Mother Marianne led six sisters to 
        the Hawaiian Islands at the request of Father Leonor Fouesnel, emissary 
        for King Kalakaua and Queen Kapiolani who came to Syracuse as part of 
        his search for Sisters to assist in taking care of persons with leprosy;
Whereas in 1884, Mother Marianne established Malulani Hospital, a general 
        hospital at Wailuku, Maui, at the request of the Hawaiian government;
Whereas in 1885, Mother Marianne was awarded the royal medal of Kapiolani by 
        King Kalakaua for her leadership in benevolent works in the Hawaiian 
        Islands at the opening of Kapiolani Home at Kakaako, near Honolulu, 
        Oahu, for the female children of those at Kalaupapa with leprosy, a 
        project initiated by herself together with the Royal Family of Hawaii;
Whereas in 1886, Mother Marianne ensured special care for Father Damien de 
        Veuster, now Saint Damien of Molokai, during his stay on Oahu, who, 
        after serving the leprosy patients on Molokai, was eventually diagnosed 
        with leprosy and rejected because of this;
Whereas in 1889, following the death of Father Damien, Mother Marianne was 
        officially named by the government leadership to be Father Damien's 
        successor at the Boys' Home at Kalawao on the island of Molokai and led 
        the effort for the building of a new home;
Whereas in 1899, Mother Marianne was appointed the director of the Bishop Home 
        at Kalaupapa by the Hawaii Board of Health and oversaw its expansion and 
        established programs to educate and tend to the spiritual needs of its 
        residents;
Whereas in 1918, Mother Marianne died of natural causes at the St. Elizabeth 
        Convent at Kalaupapa and was buried on the grounds of Bishop Home;
Whereas, on April 19, 2004, Pope John Paul II declared Mother Marianne 
        ``Venerable'', the first of three steps that lead to sainthood;
Whereas, on February 2, 2005, the remains of Mother Marianne were moved from 
        Kalaupapa, Molokai, to the chapel at St. Anthony Convent and Motherhouse 
        in Syracuse, New York;
Whereas Pope John Paul II ratified the beatification of Mother Marianne and his 
        successor, Pope Benedict XVI, declared her beatification on May 14, 
        2005, and she was named ``Blessed Marianne Cope'', with her feast day 
        set on January 23, the day Mother Marianne was born; and
Whereas Mother Marianne was canonized as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church on 
        October 21, 2012, by Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican 
        City: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors and praises 
Saint Marianne Cope for her legacy of compassionate care where she 
promoted the value of every individual and recognizes her example of 
what it truly means to dedicate one's life in service to others, 
especially to those she served at the leprosy settlement at Kalaupapa 
on the island of Molokai.
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