Mother Marianne Cope reliquary in Syracuse.
/ Matt Mulcahy.
A pilgrim is not a tourist. A pilgrim is on a religious experience looking to draw closer to God. That's how Bishop Robert Cunningham described the upcoming journey to the Vatican for hundreds of Central New York Catholics. In addition to groups from the Syracuse Diocese and the Sisters of St. Francis there are dozens making the length flight from Hawaii to experience the Canonization of Mother Marianne Cope.
The Hawaiian delegation arrives in Syracuse Saturday afternoon. Bishop Lary Silva will celebrate a later afternoon mass at Assumption Church on Syracuse's near west side. That was Mother Marianne's home parish during the time of the Civil War when she was establishing her leadership skills within the Franciscan Order. That's when she helped found St. Joseph's Hospital.
That group will then spend Sunday morning in Utica. That's where Mother Marianne's family lived after immigrating from Germany when she was a young child.
Come Sunday afternoon Bishop Silva will celebrate mass at St. Anthony's Convent and Motherhouse Chapel where Saint Marianne's remains are kept. Then the Hawaiians are off to New York City's JFK Airport for the flight to Rome.
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