Servant of God Mother Mary Alphonsa (Rose Hawthorne) Wooden Doll Ornament

Handmade original Servant of God Mother Mary Alphonsa Wooden Doll Ornament. Perfect for the Christmas Tree. Bring out on feast day or for a Novena. Gift for a birthday or sacrament (Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Marriage) celebration. Teacher, priest, grandparent gift.

Born Rose Hawthorne in 1851 in Boston, the daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne, but spent her childhood in cultured England. In 1891 she and her husband George entered the Catholic Church. In 1887 she conceived the idea of ministering to cancer victims after caring for her dying friend Emma Lazarus. In the late 1800s, cancer was thought be contagious, with few hospitals accepting or treating those who suffered from it. After George’s death in 1898, she and two companions invested as Dominican tertiaries, caring for “the neediest class we know – both in poverty and suffering.” After taking a nursing course, she rented a three-room tenement in New York to welcome and care for terminal cancer patients (lavender ribbon). They founded a community known as the Servants of Relief for Incurable Cancer (Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne), taking a radical vow of poverty, refusing any compensation for their work. She was elected superior and called Mother Mary Alphonsa. Died in her sleep in 1926.

Made of wood, felt, ribbon, and handmade accessories. Includes tag and card with Saint's biography and description. Approximately 4" tall. Packaged in cellophane bag. Shipped in box with bubble wrap.