A Medal for Saint Marianne

This past weekend, Sisters William Marie Eleniki and Marie Jose Romano represented our community at an extraordinary Mass at the Church of Saint Augustine By-The-Sea in Honolulu. The service included the investiture of new members of the Military and Hospitallier Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem and a “meritorious recognition” of Saints Marianne Cope and Damien De Veuster for their work among the lepers of Kalaupapa. Sister William Marie accepted a beautiful medal given in honor of St. Marianne, who was invested in the Order, and S. Marie Jose did the readings. Sisters at Hale O Meleana could not attend the service but watched the televised event. The Order of St. Lazarus is one of the oldest Orders of Christian Chivalry, dating back before the Crusades. The order has its roots in a hospital outside the walls of Jerusalem sponsored by St. Lazarus, where lepers were cared for. Today the Order is an international charitable organization dedicated to helping the sick and the needy.