Thursday, October 23, 2008 FEATURE Southern Cross, Page 3 Rose Hawthorne’s dream: Atlanta’s Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home still provides care for “cancerous poor” . ISTORY :A H :A TLANTA A RCHDIOCESE OF Photo courtesy of the Diocesan Archives. Photo ose Hawthorne Lathrop, daughter of author , Rtraveled the world and lived in luxury. More significantly, she traveled a personal highway dotted with tragedy. Rose’s husband was an alcoholic. Her son, Francis, died as a young child. From this conflicting background, A John Hanley, from Photo Catholic convert Rose Hawthorne moved on to a ministry that took care of Above left: Atlanta’ Free Cancer many whom society often forgot: the poor afflicted with cancer. Home as it appeared in 1939. The order Rose Lathrop founded received over 350 patients over the Above: Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. in 1900 was to be, she said, not her three-year period of 1939-1942. Ten Gregory celebrates Mass for the sis- work but God’s. Following training years later, in 1952, the Bulletin car- ters at the home. Right: Rose as a nurse and opening a home for ried the same photo of the Free Hawthorne Lathrop (Mother Mary cancer victims in ’s lower Cancer Home further explaining Alphonsa). East Side, Lathrop opened that: “The only requirement for Georgia). A report given at a 1942 Rose’s Free Home for Incurable admission of patients is that they meeting of these officers revealed Cancer, also located in New be afflicted with incurable that 148 patients were cared for at York. Lathrop took vows as a cancer and have no funds to the Cancer Home during 1941, half Dominican nun in 1900, tak- pay for treatment.” Neither of those cared for being women. ing the name Sister Mary race nor religion was a con- Only seven patients were Catholic. Alphonsa. Accompanied by sideration when patients 1942: A memorable year

Sister Mary Rose Huber (nee were admitted. The year 1942 was a memorable concordma.com/magazine/autumn05 from Photo Alice Huber), she opened Previously, an article by one for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Home “a treasure for this Rosemary Hill Home in Frank Daniel in the Atlanta Free Cancer Home and those who local church and for all the people of Hawthorne, New York, in Rita H. DeLorme Journal of February 1, staffed it. Briefly visiting Atlanta Atlanta.” 1902. 1942, reprinted in the that year was co-founder Mother Today In 1939, Sister Alphonsa’s order’s Bulletin of February 21, indicated Mary Rose Huber, OP, who worked The Dominican Sisters of Haw- ministry extended to Atlanta where that groups within the Atlanta com- with Mother Mary Alphonsa thorne currently operate cancer Our Lady of Perpetual Help Free munity were already supporting the Hawthorne from the order’s incep- homes in Georgia, New York and Cancer Home, staffed by nine Sisters Free Cancer Home. Daniel singled tion and directed the sisters’ work Pennsylvania as well as one in of of the out a local organization of African- following the death of Mother Kisumu, Kenya. Their mission state- Congregation of Saint American women known as the Alphonsa in 1926. Mother Rose ment says that they “hold to the (as the order was then called) was “Jolly Matrons Club” that made the Huber died on September 30, 1942, Dominican charism—to share the founded. Following its dedication by home its cause, periodically donating a few months after her visit to fruits of their contemplation with Bishop Gerald P. O’Hara, the former linens to the institution. Daniel quot- Atlanta. those they serve,” and that they Hebrew Orphan’s Home at 760 ed Sister Mary Angela, head of Our Still functioning, but now part of “preach the Gospel of Life and Washington Street became the site of Lady of Perpetual Help Home, as the Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta, God’s love by care of those people the Free Cancer Home. There the saying that most of her patients Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer with incurable cancer who are sisters, aided by one male orderly, expected to get well. The atmo- Home is located at 760 Pollard unable to afford care.” began their work in the Diocese of sphere at the home, wrote Frank Boulevard, SW, in Fulton County. In 2003, Cardinal , Savannah-Atlanta. Daniel who had visited it, “was a The archdiocese’s Web site notes Archbishop of New York, approved In 1942, The Bulletin of the Ca- positive one of peace, comfort, that it “is supported by the generosi- a movement for of tholic Laymen’s Association marked assurance, without the negation of ty of a sympathetic public,” with Rose Hawthorne Lathrop who, in an the third anniversary of the Free resignation, of submission to the donations coming from the OLPH appeal for funds, once wrote: “I am Cancer Home with a photo of the harsh abuse of disease.” Auxiliary as well as from other trying to serve the poor as a servant. hospital, noting that, “At present, the Early officers of the board of Our organizations and from individuals. I wish to serve the cancerous poor home is caring for about fifty incur- Lady of Perpetual Help Cancer Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of because they are more avoided than able victims of the dread disease, Home included: Bishop O’Hara Atlanta celebrates Mass at the any other class of sufferers; and I white and colored, but few of whom (President), Father R. Smith Atlanta Cancer Home where he has wish to go to them as a poor creature are Catholics.” With a potential of (Vice President), Sister M. Rose spoken with the sisters and volun- myself.” caring for eighty patients, the home Huber (Treasurer), Estes Doremus teers who work there. He wrote in Columnist RITA H. DELORME Correction (president of Atlanta Branch, his May 8, 2008 column, “What I Catholic Laymen’s Association) and Have Seen and Heard”, in the arch- is a volunteer in the Diocesan eacon candidate Arnold Good- Bernard J. Kane (president of the diocesan newspaper, The Georgia Archives. She can be reached man (October 8) is from Holy D Catholic Laymen’s Association of Bulletin, that he considers the at [email protected]. Family Parish, Columbus.