June 11 - a day to remember 

A deaconess and all forgotten children  

This Saturday, June 11, the ministry of a Louisville deaconess who the Diocese of Kentucky hopes will be named among the Episcopal Church's "Holy Women, Holy Men" next year will be commemorated because of her service to hundreds of sick children, orphans and foundlings at the turn of the century.

Often described as Kentucky's "Florence Nightingale," Sister Emily Cooper was the first deaconess assigned as director of the Home of the Innocents in 1880. She and her associates and the hundreds of children they served for some 40 years were nearly forgotten until recent years when three women (Sharon Receveur, the diocese's archivist; Linda Medley, a vice president at the Home; and Linda Speed with the Community Foundation of Louisville) began their investigation into the Home of the Innocent's burial sites at Cave Hill Cemetery. With the help of cemetery staff and many other researchers, they found that more than 220 children who died while in the care of the Home were buried in unmarked graves at Cave Hill; many surround the marked grave of Sister Emily. The committee has worked diligently for more than five years to identify the children.

Saturday's commemoration activities will begin with a tour of the Home of the Innocents from 9 to 10 a.m. (EDT). A worship service with Bishop Terry White will follow at the Episcopal Church of the Advent at 10:30 a.m. at 901 Baxter Ave., which is located across the street from Cave Hill's main entrance. After some time for outdoor refreshment and a brief appearance of "Sister Emily," the commemoration will culminate with a noon procession through Cave Hill to the gravesites.

The events are part of an effort by the diocese, which covers the western half of Kentucky, to have Sister Emily and "all forgotten children" included in their denomination's "Holy Women, Holy Men," which may be considered by some as an Episcopal version of "Butler's Lives of the Saints." The diocese's request for their inclusion in the publication and relevant materials have been sent to the Episcopal Church's Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music and will be presented for consideration at its next General Convention in 2012.

For more information, contact one of the following:

Mary Jane Cherry, the Diocese of Kentucky's Communications Director, at maryjane@episcopalky.org or 502-584-7148 (cell 502-551-8542)

The Rev. Ken Thompson, chair of the commemoration event, at emmausfarm@elkcreek.net.