Born this day in 1838, Marianne of Molokai. Mother Marianne, co-founded the first two Catholic Hospitals in the United States, from 1870-77. Which prepared Mother Marianne for a letter that changed Mother Marianne's life. King David Kalākaua, for her help in Honolulu, to work with those suffering from Hansen's disease, leprosy. Below is Mother Marianne's response:
I am hungry for the work and I wish with all my heart to be one of the chosen Ones, whose privilege it will be, to sacrifice themselves for the salvation of the souls of the poor Islanders... I am not afraid of any disease, hence it would be my greatest delight even to minister to the abandoned ‘lepers
And so in 1883 with six other sisters, they set sail for Hawaii. And Mother Marianne spent the rest of her life working with Islanders who suffered with leprosy. Even with her very close contact with those suffering with leprosy,Mother Marianne never contracted it. On May 5th 2005, Mother Marianne was beatified by Pope Benedict IV.
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