Suzanne Aubert
Encyclopedia
Suzanne Aubert better known to many by her name of Sister Mary Joseph or Mother Aubert, was a Catholic
sister who started a home for orphans and the under-privileged in Jerusalem, New Zealand
on the Whanganui River
in 1885. She first came to New Zealand in 1860 and formed Congregation of the Holy Family to educate Maori children. She founded a religious order, the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion in 1892. She later started two hospitals in Wellington; the first, St Joseph's Home for Incurables in 1900, and Our Lady's Home of Compassion in 1907.
She was the first person known to grow cannabis
in New Zealand, she used the cannabis to ease the nun's menstrual pains and to help asthmatics and recovering alcoholics.
She was actively engaged with the local Māori population and spoke Māori well. She wrote a book New and complete manual of Maori conversation : containing phrases and dialogues on a variety of useful and interesting topics : together with a few general rules of grammar : and a comprehensive vocabulary which was published in Wellington
by Lyon and Blair in 1885.
The process for Suzanne Aubert's canonisation as a saint
was commenced with the appointment in 2010 of Maurice Carmody
as postulator
or advocate for that cause.
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
sister who started a home for orphans and the under-privileged in Jerusalem, New Zealand
Jerusalem, New Zealand
Jerusalem was once an important kainga on the Whanganui River in New Zealand where a Roman Catholic mission was first established in 1854....
on the Whanganui River
Whanganui River
The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand.Known for many years as the Wanganui River, the river's name reverted to Whanganui in 1991, according with the wishes of local iwi. Part of the reason was also to avoid confusion with the Wanganui River in the South Island...
in 1885. She first came to New Zealand in 1860 and formed Congregation of the Holy Family to educate Maori children. She founded a religious order, the Daughters of Our Lady of Compassion in 1892. She later started two hospitals in Wellington; the first, St Joseph's Home for Incurables in 1900, and Our Lady's Home of Compassion in 1907.
She was the first person known to grow cannabis
Cannabis
Cannabis is a genus of flowering plants that includes three putative species, Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. These three taxa are indigenous to Central Asia, and South Asia. Cannabis has long been used for fibre , for seed and seed oils, for medicinal purposes, and as a...
in New Zealand, she used the cannabis to ease the nun's menstrual pains and to help asthmatics and recovering alcoholics.
She was actively engaged with the local Māori population and spoke Māori well. She wrote a book New and complete manual of Maori conversation : containing phrases and dialogues on a variety of useful and interesting topics : together with a few general rules of grammar : and a comprehensive vocabulary which was published in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
by Lyon and Blair in 1885.
The process for Suzanne Aubert's canonisation as a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
was commenced with the appointment in 2010 of Maurice Carmody
Maurice Carmody
Maurice Carmody is a New Zealand Catholic priest, Medieval Historian and writer, specialising in the history of the Franciscan order.-Early life:...
as postulator
Postulator
The person who guides a Cause for beatification or canonization through the judicial processes required by the Roman Catholic Church is known as the postulator. The qualifications, role and function of the postulator are spelled out in the Norms to be Observed in Inquiries made by Bishops in the...
or advocate for that cause.
Sources
- Jessie Munro, The Story of Suzanne Aubert, Auckland University Press, Auckland 1996.
- Jessie Munro (ed) (with the assistance of Sister Bernadette Wrack), Letters on the Go: The Correpondence of Suzanne Aubert, Bridget Williams Books, Wellington, 2009.
- Documentary : "The Story of Suzanne Aubert" by Chantal Perrin with the contribution of Sr Bernadette Mary Wrack, Sr Josephine Gorman and Jessie Monroe. France 2/KTO/RFO 2006
External links
- Objects relating to Mother Aubert from the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa from the Dictionary of New Zealand BiographyDictionary of New Zealand BiographyThe Dictionary of New Zealand Biography contains biographies for over 3,000 New Zealanders. It is available in both English and Maori. All volumes of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography are available online....