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Discalced Carmelite Sister Mary Martha dies at 86
Sister Mary Martha of the Holy Faith, died at Carmel of the Holy Spirit Monastery in Littleton May 9. She was 86.
Born Elizabeth Caprinar on Oct. 5, 1924, in Dearborn, Mich., she entered the Discalced Carmelite order in Grand Rapids, Mich., on April 25, 1945.
Sister Mary Martha arrived in Colorado in December 1947, just a month after the monastery had been founded in Littleton, according to Mother Gemma Marie Hughes, O.C.D.
“The sisters had been invited to Colorado by Archbishop Urban Vehr and Sister Mary Martha was one of the first to arrive,” Mother Gemma Marie said. “The land was overgrown but the sisters worked hard and soon we had a nice garden growing.”
Upon her arrival, Sister Mary Martha took over several duties, including working in the kitchen, doing church laundry and, once the ground was ready, working in the garden.
“She loved the garden work—to grow things,” Mother Gemma Marie said. “It was really a passion for her.”
In recent years Sister Mary Martha, who had celebrated her 66th year of religious life, was unable to work as much in the garden but that didn’t slow her down much. She continued to do light work around the monastery and to make scapulars.
A funeral Mass for Sister Mary Martha was held May 13 followed by burial in the monastery cemetery. Memorial donations may be sent to the Discalced Carmelites, 6138 W. Gallup St., Littleton, CO 80120.
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