Pope Francis places his hand on a bronze sculpture of St. Marianne Cope embracing an orphaned Kalaupapa girl made by Maui artist Dale Zarrella and given to the pontiff Sept. 23 in the apostolic nunciature in Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Dale Zarrella)
Pope Francis receives, blesses St. Marianne statue in Washington
By Patrick Downes
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Pope Francis paused on the second day of his Sept. 22-27 whirlwind trip to the United States to gaze on a bronze likeness of Molokai’s St. Marianne Cope embracing an orphaned Kalaupapa girl, bless it, and place his hand on the child’s head.
The statue is the work of Maui sculptor Dale Zarrella who, with the help of Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva and the apostolic nuncio to the United States Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, arranged the Francis-Marianne encounter.
According to Zarrella, the bronze was presented to the pope Sept. 23 at the apostolic nunciature, the equivalent of a Vatican embassy, where the pope stayed during his Washington, D.C., stop.
“Pope Francis was quite taken by the sculpture of St. Marianne comforting the orphaned child at her side,” the sculptor told the Hawaii Catholic Herald. “The Holy Father was compelled to put his hand on the child’s head and give her an extra blessing.”
Given as a gift to the pope, the stature will remain at the three-story nunciature at 3339 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, in the Embassy Row neighborhood.
According to Bishop Silva, Archbishop Vigano told him that the statue is in a parlor “where he frequently receives guests, so it should get plenty of exposure.”
The photo at right shows how the statue is being displayed in the nunciature. (Photo courtesy of Bishop Larry Silva)
The statue stands on a small dark wood table in the corner of a cozy sitting room, against wallpaper of rose and blue vertical stripes, backlit by a torchier lamp. A large gilt-framed portrait of Pope Pius XI, who became pope four years after Mother Marianne died, hangs above her to the right.
The statue is a copy of a larger monkeypod version carved by the artist that has been on display since July at St. Theresa Church in Kihei until its designated home, the St. Damien and St. Marianne museum at St. Augustine Church in Waikiki, is built. There the Marianne statue will join a statue of St. Damien de Veuster that Zarrella carved two years ago.
In 2012, Zarrella, a Catholic, brought two statues of St. Damien to Rome, one which was presented at Pope Benedict XVI’s general audience in St. Peter’s Square on April 18, the other for the Pontifical North American College seminary. The presentations coincided with the ad limina visit of Bishop Larry Silva who blessed the statue given to the seminary.
Bronze replicas of the St. Marianne statue are available in one-foot and two-foot sizes by calling Dale Zarrella at 808-250-0448.
