A homecoming over a century in the making was celebrated Wednesday night as hundreds of residents gathered to witness the return of the body of Syracuse’s own holy woman.

Mother Marianne Cope, a late Sister of St. Francis from Syracuse, and now a candidate for Roman Catholic sainthood, returned home for the first time in over 100 years.

Over 300 faithful welcomed Cope home at a prayer service at Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception celebrated by Bishop James Moynihan.

‘Of course, of course she is a saint,’ said Moynihan during the 30-minute service. ‘Now knowingly, officially, we have our own friend in the court of God.’

Cope’s body arrived back to Syracuse early this afternoon and was returned to the sisters’ motherhouse on Court Street, where the nuns were able to greet Cope before the service.

‘We’re very much excited. It’s just awesome,’ said Sister Patricia Schofield. ‘She came in early so we were able to sing to her. They opened the door of the Hearse so we could touch her casket.’

During the service, Moynihan prayed not only for Cope’s eventual beatification and canonization, but also for the sisters who had made Cope’s journey possible. One of the criteria for beatification is that someone must choose to write a biography of the individual, a task completed by Sister Mary Lawrence Hanley.

‘A book you cannot put down-you must keep reading…it’s almost like a novel, but it’s not fiction. It’s a work of God,’ Moynihan said.

The celebratory return was marked not only in Syracuse and Central New York, but all over the world, including representatives of Cope’s candidacy in the Vatican, Moynihan said.

Four fully uniformed, including the tradition swords, Knights of Columbus, a Catholic brotherhood of respected parishioners, guarded Cope’s simple casket throughout the service.

Some stood on the pews to watch her casket during the procession. Afterward, hundreds lined up to touch or kiss the casket that held the body of a woman many had long waited to see in person.

‘It’s a once in a lifetime experience,’ said Syracuse resident Margaret Reith. Reith brought her two children, 8-year-old Thomas and 3-year-old Mary to the ceremony after Thomas had read Cope’s biography.

Cope’s return had deep significance for many of those in attendance.

Stella Tracz, a member of St. Joseph’s and St. Patrick’s in Utica said she studied Cope in school her entire life and walked down the very streets where Cope grew up.

‘I hope it makes (future generations) realize what a wonderful person she was. She was a real Catholic and a real Franciscan nun,’ Tracz said.

Cope’s sainthood candidacy is a significant event for the American Church, said Moynihan, noting that relatively few saints are from North America.

Moynihan had visited with Pope John Paul II over six years ago to discuss Cope’s beatification.

‘People have been at this for 30 some odd years. It doesn’t happen overnight,’ Moynihan said.

Despite the long wait, Moynihan remains optimistic about Cope’s eventual canonization. During his Vatican visit, Moynihan had lunch with several Cardinals and the Pope. As he was leaving, the Pope comfortingly patted him on the shoulder.

‘We’ll have a saint for Syracuse,’ the Pope told Moynihan.

Published on February 2, 2005 at 12:00 pm