Marianne Cope (1838–1918), also known as Saint Marianne of Molokaʻi, was a German-born American nun renowned for her selfless care for leprosy patients in Hawaii. Born Barbara Koob in West Germany, her family emigrated to the United States when she was an infant, settling in Utica, New York. After completing her education, she entered the Sisters of St. Francis in Syracuse, where she took the name Marianne and devoted herself to serving the sick and marginalized. As a leader in her religious community, she helped establish hospitals that welcomed all patients, regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status.

In 1883, Marianne answered the call to serve in Hawaii after a request for help from King Kalākaua and local church officials. She and six of her fellow sisters traveled to the islands to care for leprosy patients, a group often shunned and abandoned due to fear of contagion. Marianne’s work led her to the remote Kalaupapa settlement on Molokaʻi, where she cared for patients alongside Saint Damien de Veuster. She provided medical care, comfort, and dignity to those suffering from the disease, establishing homes, schools, and a sense of community for those who had been exiled.

Marianne remained in Hawaii for the rest of her life, tirelessly serving the people of Kalaupapa with love and compassion until her death in 1918. Her unwavering dedication earned her the respect and admiration of all who knew her. Pope Benedict XVI canonized her as a saint on October 21, 2012.