I don’t ordinarily pay much attention to Catholic-type shit, but today’s canonization at the Vatican was difficult to ignore in these parts, main because one of the new “saints” happened to be a nun from here in Syracuse. Mother Marianne Cope was the head of the Syracuse Franciscan sisters, and opened the first two Catholic hospitals here (whose charter stipulated that medical care was to be provided to all, regardless of race or creed, which was a somewhat unique concept in 1870). She was the administrator of the first public hospital in Syracuse (St. Joseph’s, which happens to be where I was born), and was instrumental in the move of the Geneva (NY) Medical College to Syracuse, where it eventually turned in to the place where I now work. Marianne Cope is probably best know for her work with leprosy patients on Molokai.

And the other person canonized today was Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk woman, and the first Native American to be declared a saint. So that’s good, I guess.

Sad to hear that George McGovern passed away. I’m sure he’ll never be canonized, bu things would have been a lot better if he’d beaten Richard Nixon in 1972. A shame Eagleton never told him about the depression and shock treatments.

Oh well, I guess I’d better go and see if my laundry is done.