January 23 + Saint Marianne Cope

Marianne Cope was born in 1838 in Germany and was baptized Maria Anna Barbara Koob, which was later changed to Cope.

Just a year after her birth, her family emigrated to the United States, settling in Utica, New York. Marianne attended a parish school until she reached the eighth grade. By that time, her father had become an invalid and she went to work in a factory to support the family.

After her father died, she was able to leave the factory to pursue a religious life. She became a novitiate of the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis based in Syracuse, New York. She took the name Marianne when she completed her formation.

German-speaking immigrants settled in large numbers in her area of New York state, so she became a teacher and later a principal at a school for immigrant children. Marianne also helped direct the opening of the first two Catholic hospitals in central New York. She arranged for students from the Geneva Medical College in New York to work at the hospital.

She went on to become the Superior General of her congregation. It was at this time she received a plea for help from leprosy sufferers in Hawaii. King Kalakaua himself sent the letter asking for aid in treating patients who were isolated on the island of Moloka'i. The King had already been declined by more than 50 other religious institutes.

Mother Marianne accepted his plea for help and left for Hawaii with six sisters to attend to the sick. Once they arrived, Mother Marianne managed a hospital on the island of O'ahu, where victims of leprosy were sent for triage. The most severe patients were sent to the island of Moloka'i. Mother Marianne helped establish the Malulani hospital on the island of Maui. Although Mother Marianne was getting older, her work-load only seemed to increase. Soon, she was responsible for orphans of women who had contracted the disease as well as clergy who had contracted the disease while working with lepers.

Eventually, Mother Marianne's work became a burden on her frail body and she was confined to a wheelchair. Despite this limitation, she continued to work tirelessly. Many noticed that despite all her years of work she never contracted leprosy herself, which many regarded as a miracle in itself.

Mother Marianne died at 80 years of age on August 9, 1918, was beatified in 2005 and canonized seven years later.