Pilgrimage and Exile: Mother Marianne of Molokai

The amazing story of a woman who helped to shape health care on Hawaii and lead a group of missionaries to serve in hospitals and leper colonies half way around the world from home. I was first introduced to Mother Marianne in the film Molokai witch was primarily the story of Father Damien, and his service among the lepers on the exile island of Molokai. This story overlaps with that one for many years but from very different perspectives. This biography is a delight if somewhat difficult read. It draws heavily upon source documents from the period of Mother Marianne's life, 1838-1918. It has been said that our life will be measured by the "-" the dash, what we do with the years between our birth and our death. Marianne made the most of those years in fact she lived and gave, and served enough for a few lifetimes of lesser people. Born in Witzenbacher in 1938, her family immigrated to Utica, New York when she was just 2 years old. In 1862 Barbara Koob professed orders to become a nun. She established and expanded hospitals and medical services first in Utica and then Syracuse New York. The first ospitol in Syracuse opened in 1869 and mother Marianne was in charge from 1970 to 1877. In 1877 she rose to the position of Provincial Mother of the Sisters of St. Francis of Syracuse. It was in that position that she received the request to come and serve in Hawaii, in establishing the hospitals and overseeing medical care on the islands in the Kingdom of Hawaii (At that time often referred to as the Sandwich Islands). The islanders in Hawaii immediately recognized a strength of character, the internal life of Mother Marianne. She was a favored friend of Queen Kapiolani and King Kalakaua who both though Presbyterian, gave to the work of Mother Marianne and meet with her personally on many occasions. Mother Marianne had to use all of her skills to make the mission on Hawaii work, she had to contend with Parliament, Business owners (tax payers who did not like spending money on lepers). And With the personalities in the church, and her own order. Marianne not only revolutionized how the patients in the leper hospital and eventually on Molokai we treated and cared for. She set up and oversaw hospitals on many of the islands. Marianne said on more than one occasion that "God has called us for this work. If we are prudent in our duty he will protect us." And she was right, not one of the scores of nun's who served there for many long years. This book will challenge you! You will see service to other people as the greatest calling and the greatest gift. You will witness the life of an amazing woman who cared for all who came into her circle and did all she could to help them be better men and women.

I have been enjoying this book mostly because it is the story of my great great grandfather's sister, Mother Marianne. The personal history about the life of one of my ancesters and the times she lived in is facinating. I am also interested in the history of the island of Hawaii, which I had only thought of as a vacation spot before this book. The conflicts and politics of the early colonial powers is something I had never even heard about. I am only halfway through, but its a good book to show what immigrant life in the US was like in the late 1800's, as well as the life and choices of women in that time. What is shows of the treatment of the Hawaiians is sad.