VIRIDITAS: SOUL GREENING
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
I first came to Hawaii in 1982 to work at St Francis Hospital on Liliha Street. After a year, I was transferred to St Francis Home Care where I worked for several years. In 1991, I returned to Syracuse, New York, to care for my ailing parents. After returning to Hawaii, I continued to minister at St Francis Hospice, Our Lady of Keaau, and with the fragile, vulnerable and underserved at the Kalihi Palama Health Center. One would think that with the different experiences I had, that it would become easier in knowing what to do when a loved one reaches that tender and frail moment of lingering between life and death. It is never easy, except with God.
Three years ago my 58-year-old brother had a heart attack while exercising in a gym on a tread mill. It was unexpected as Ron was generally physically fit having been a former wrestling national champion and one of the top tacklers in defensive football during his senior year. Even as an attorney, he routinely worked out at the gym balancing his career and devotion to the Lord with the great love he had for his wife and children. Many people appreciated him for his joviality, smiles, generosity to help others and wise advice. This was a very painful incident for my family and me. But, we kept hope despite this difficult time.
My brother was in a coma in ICU on a ventilator (life support) for 40 days and 40 nights. Each night in the hospital my family and I prayed through the intercession of St. Marianne Cope for his well-being and a miracle. Not knowing what else to do, I brought with me the book “A Walk With St. Marianne Cope of Molokai” written by a sister in my community, Sister Davilyn Ah Chick and a friend Dominican Sister Malia Dominica Wong. I randomly opened the book and began reading a section out loud. The reflections seemed to provide a sense of peace and grounding for us as we journeyed with Ron. I continued to read from the book the following nights. The hospital staff was inspired by our faithfulness to prayer and our never giving up hope that something good would happen.
The staff said that they had never seen a family so devoted and they honored our needs to continue these rituals of prayer daily. It was not something that was normally allowed as the hospital had a visitors’ limit of two in the room at one time and we were always between six to eight together. Despite this most challenging time we drew closer together as a family and to the staff. Even one of the attending medical doctors who was not Catholic asked if she could visit the Mother Marianne Museum to learn more about the saint. Eventually, because of our faith and prayers, our Catholic tradition, we were given the strength to accept God’s will for us and my brother. Although he never woke up, we knew he was with us and thus letting his spirit move onwards to the heavenly kingdom became easier.
Sister Rosemarie Pelligra is a Sister of Saint Francis of the Neumann Communities. She is a registered nurse and 35 years professed. Currently she serves at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Honolulu as the coordinator of the homebound, especially the kupuna of the parish. She resides at St. Francis Convent in Manoa.
