WEBSTER'S ENTRY 4

Mother Alphonsa

Rose Hawthorne Lathrop was born to wealthy, American, non-Catholic parents. When she grew up she married George Lathrop and, together, they became Catholic. They had a child who died of illness. Her husband became an alcoholic, so Rose left her marriage. She felt that God was calling her to help people suffering from cancer. At that time, people thought cancer was contagious.

Rose's motto was, "I will see all things only through the spirit of God, thus freeing myself of personality and forgetting my existence. I will regard all things through the Spirit of Jesus Christ." This means that we should not be judgemental, but be kind towards others, like Jesus.

Rose gave up everything and moved to the poorest area in New York to nurse cancer patients. She was kind and caring to all of them. She worked for free, or without charge. So she relied on donations. To get help, she wrote an article in the newspaper, and many people were moved. One reader, Alice Huber, read it and decided to help Rose, first once a week and soon after, full time.

Rose and Alice joined the Dominican Sisters, and Rose took the name Mary Alphonsa, while Alice, Mary Rose. Some time later, both Mary Alphonsa and Mary Rose founded a new order called, The Servants for the Relief of Incurable Cancer.

Mother Alphonsa lived a busy life: running the convent, doing her daily duties as a religious nun and nursing cancer patients. She drew strength from Jesus in the Eucharist. Once, a journalist asked her where she got her strength to perform all her activities, and in reply she pointed to the Tabernacle. Mother Alphonsa did everything for God, and she did all her work cheerfully for a long time, until she passed away quietly in her sleep on July 9, 1926.

Mother Alphonsa, like Jesus, treated everyone with kindness, respect, care and without judgement. This shows how well she lived according to her rule of life. Her motto is a good guide for us who want to follow Jesus. Mother Alphonsa, in her faith and life of service is a great example for us in living a truly Christian life.

(Grade 5,
Creative Writing,
2011, Term 1, Week 4)