Guardians of the Vision
Each and every one of the Franciscan Sisters have made untold contributions to Hawaii, having served as a religious community since 1883, when Mother Marianne Cope arrived to answer the pleas of King Kalakaua to provide care and comfort for patients with Hansen’s disease.
The legacy of caring established by Blessed Marianne and the visionaries who followed her is continued today by the Sisters of St. Francis and St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii. Through the years, the Sisters have always embraced their mission of going where they are most needed.
Mother Marianne Cope, OSF Served 1883-1918
St. Francis Medical Center
Sister M. Flaviana Engel, OSF Served 1927-1929
Sister M. Eugenia Bopp, OSF Served 1929-1935
Sister M. Bernadette Wunsch, OSF Served 1935-1939
Mother M. Jolenta Wilson, OSF Served 1939-1953
Sister Maureen Keleher, OSF Served 1953-1988
Sister M. Aileen Griffin, OSF Served 1988-1990
Sister Beatrice Tom, OSF Served 1990-1995
St. Francis Medical Center-West
Sister Beatrice Tom, OSF Served 1989-1990
Sister Gretchen Gilroy, OSF Served 1990-1995
St. Francis Medical Centers
Sister Beatrice Tom, OSF Served 1990-1996
Sister Gretchen Gilroy, OSF Served 1996-2001
St. Francis Healthcare System
Sister Beatrice Tom, OSF Served 1996-2005
Sister Agnelle Ching, OSF Serving 2005-Present
Mother Marianne Cope, OSF
Served from 1883 – 1918
Blessed Marianne exemplified the vision of loving kindness for all those in need, most notably Hawaii’s victims of Hansen’s disease.
Mother Marianne Cope (January 23, 1838 – August 9, 1918) was born in Heppenheim in the Grand Duchy of Hesse (Germany) and christened Barbara Koob. When she was age 3, her family moved to the United States, settling in Utica, New York. She entered the religious community, the Sisters of the Third Franciscan Order of Syracuse, New York.
Click here for more information on Mother Marianne Cope.
Sister Maureen Keleher, OSF
Served from 1953 – 1988
Sister Maureen Keleher’s vision of healing broke new ground in clinical care that reached far outside the hospital walls.
Sister Maureen believed deeply in the motto of St. Francis of Assisi: "It is in giving that we receive." She was chief executive officer for St. Francis Medical Center from 1953 to 1988, founding Hawaii's first hospice program and advancing plans for St. Francis Medical Center-West in Ewa.
Click here for more information on Sister Maureen Keleher.
Sister Beatrice Tom, OSF
Began service in 1989, currently Chief Administrator, Our Lady of Kea‘au
Sister Beatrice Tom has served in various leadership capacities since she rejoined St. Francis in Hawaii in 1989 after spending many years in New Jersey and New York, including serving as Child Care Administrator at Covenant House and Blessings House (Spiritual Life Center).
She holds an MS in Administration from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana, an MA in Religious Education from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, a BA in English and Secondary Education from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.
Click here for more information on Sister Beatrice Tom.
Sister Agnelle Ching, OSF
Serving 2005-Present
Sister Agnelle Ching, OSF, has served as chief executive officer of St. Francis Healthcare System of Hawaii since September 2005.
Under Sister Agnelle’s leadership, St. Francis Healthcare System has broadened its service offerings to meet the health care needs of Hawaii’s rapidly growing senior population. She oversaw the multi-million dollar modernization of St. Francis Hospice’s two freestanding inpatient hospice facilities in Nuuanu and Ewa; the start-up of St. Francis Palliative Care to provide care and pain management for those with chronic diseases; the introduction of telehealth monitoring for home health patients on Oahu and Kauai; and the construction of Franciscan Vistas Ewa, a $40 million senior independent living community that combines affordable housing with health and wellness amenities.
Click here for more information on Sister Agnelle Ching.