Sisters of Saint Francis - Hawaii
The Legacy of St. Marianne Cope: 140+ Years of Undivided Service
In 1883, St. Marianne Cope and six Sisters of St. Francis arrived on the shores of Oahu from Syracuse, New York. Responding to an urgent plea from King Kalākaua and Queen Kapiʻolani, they stepped forward to care for the kingdom’s most vulnerable and isolated citizens suffering from Hansen’s disease (leprosy)—a call that more than 50 other religious communities had declined.
With profound empathy, fierce administrative skill, and total trust in God, Mother Marianne declared, “I am not afraid of any disease.” She and her sisters transformed the islands’ medical landscape, establishing patient-first healthcare protocols, opening hospitals, and eventually moving to the isolated peninsula of Molokaʻi to bring dignity, joy, and light to the exile settlement of Kalaupapa.
Our Historical Footprint
For over fourteen decades, the Sisters have serves as a cornerstone of Hawaii’s community infrastructure, adapting seamlessly to the changing needs of the islands:
Pioneering Healthcare: From managing the early Kakaʻako Branch Hospital and opening Malulani Hospital on Maui, to founding St. Francis Hospital in Honolulu (1927), the sisters pioneered Hawaii’s first nursing school, home health programs, dialysis clinics, and organ transplant registries.
Transformative Education: The sisters shaped generations of local youth, administering multi-decade parochial campuses including St. Joseph Schools in Hilo, Sacred Hearts in Lahaina, and the comprehensive St. Francis Convent School in Manoa.
Compassionate Shelter: Establishing the Kapiʻolani Home in 1885, the sisters provided a safe, loving refuge for the healthy, non-infected children of Hansen’s disease patients, protecting families across generations.
Carrying the Torch Today
Today, the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi and St. Marianne Cope lives on. Operating independently across our regional convents, the Sisters of St. Francis continue to drive vital social ministries, spiritual care, and community outreach throughout the Hawaiian Islands.
Through the St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaiʻi and the innovative Kūpuna Village in Liliha, the legacy has naturally evolved to meet Hawaii’s modern needs—transitioning from historical acute care to premier senior health services, adult day care, and compassionate hospice programs. We remain dedicated to serving the poor, the aging, and the marginalized quietly, joyfully, and without exception.
“What little good we can do in this world to help and comfort the suffering, we wish to do it quietly and so far as possible, unnoticed and unknown.” — St. Marianne Cope
Much Mahalo to Bishop Larry
Mass for our Celebrants with Bishop Larry Silva
Past Events and More
Mass and Commitment Ceremony, Held on November 8, 2025, Saint Marianne Cope Chapel
Saturday, November 8, 2025, our St. Francisʻ ohana gathered in gratitude and joy as June Segundo was installed as co-director. Father Marvin Samiano and Father Stephen Macedo presided over the celebration, filling the day with laughter, song, and aloha.
We welcomed two new Associates — Emma Vicente, who has lovingly served our Sisters and countless others through her work at St. Francis Hospice for many years, and Randy Segundo, who devoted 42 years to caring for Hawaiʻi’s visitors through the hotel industry. Both joined Valerie Ho, a retired college physical education teacher who made her first commitment in January 2025, and we lovingly remembered Anne Keamo, who now celebrates with us from heaven.
Father Marvin danced the hula with great joy, and Father Stephen shared his ono (delicious) homemade deluxe ice cream sandwiches — true gifts of aloha!
We also welcomed Kamalani as a new pre-associate. Many Associates and pre-associates joined us virtually via livestream, including Bernadette Lynch, a former educator and Sister of St. Francis, who made her three-year commitment while in New Jersey.
Throughout the celebration, the spirit of joy, laughter, and wonder flowed among us — through our prayer, singing, and shared love for life. That spirit extended to our guests, helpers, janitors, and security personnel, who joined in the celebration. Sister Davilyn shared extra bentos with the staff at Hale Meleana, spreading our gratitude even further.
Special thanks to John Fielding and his son Ryan, a cellist, who shared their technical talents to livestream the event and provide beautiful music that lifted our hearts.
The presence of our Sisters was a very special gift to us. Sisters Davilyn and Helen Hoffman, our wisdom teachers, continue to guide us with their grace and insight. Sister Donna Evans, who in the 1970s taught us the beauty of scientific inquiry, inspired generations of women to become teachers, scientists, IT pioneers in Silicon Valley, nurses, and physicians. Sisters Marie Jose , gifted writer, educator for adults and children over decades and liturgist who also sings beautifully . Sister Miriam Dionese, who lovingly cared for our dying ʻohana at St. Francis Hospice for over 30 years, embodies the Franciscan spirit of compassion and service.
We are Associates because of their example of joy and love — they have shown us what it means to live the Gospel through simple, faithful presence.
Yet amid all the joy of our gathering, I could not help but remember those who could not be with us in person. So many of our Sisters and Associates are struggling — with health challenges, limitations in driving, and feelings of loss or isolation. Some are weighed down by resentment or fear in these trying times of federal uncertainty, immigrant anxieties, rising dementia, and the growing sense of distrust that shadows our world.
This shadow is also our challenge — the call of St. Francis himself:
to offer light where there is darkness, love where there is hatred, pardon where there is injury.
Yes, we give thanks for our life of faith — for moments of clarity and hope, for renewed energy and vision. And we continue to pray always, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with our God.