franciscan sisters obituaries franciscan sisters obituaries

Her life of prayer, service and love for others has absolutely represented the Spirit of St. Francis. In 2005, she retired to St. Rose Convent and later moved to Villa St. Joseph. She served as a program assistant at Cabrini House in Minneapolis for 14 years. Sister Erlinda was from a large, very close family in Cebolla, New Mexico. Black History Month: Hope Restores extends a challenge. She entered St. Rose Convent in 1944 and professed vows in 1947. But for one week, March 8-14, we shine the spotlight on . By the end of her freshman year, she responded to this call. Sister Donna Weber, FSPA, 91, died on Saturday, August 28, 2021 at St. Rose Convent, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Obituary Sr. Gerarda Augustyniak Sister Gerarda Augustyniak, 95, a sister for 78 years, died December 29, 2016 at Mary, Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. Sandy loved being a nurse in Africa. Her work in Minneapolis was evidence of her compassionate and helpful nature. During her time in Bellevue, she also took care of her aging parents. She later returned to her baptismal name. Posted June 15, 2022 Sister Anna Louise Aherne, O.S.F. By August, 1955, Sister Dorothy was beginning her high school at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin. After high school, she helped on the farm, as two of her brothers were in the service. News reports show that, as of July 16, in addition to the 13 Felicians in Livonia, at least 19 other sisters have died in the United States, including a Felician sister at the order's convent in Lodi, New Jersey; six sisters from two communities at a shared convent outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and three Maryknoll Sisters in Ossining, New York . Sister Pat continued to minister in Elroy as a private music teacher and parish volunteer until moving to Villa St. Joseph in 2008. OBITUARY Sr. Maureen Kelly F.S.P. She helped found a Father Solanus Prayer Circle and had organized several pilgrimages to Detroit, Michigan, where Father Solanus spent most of his religious life. She was in the sixty-second year of her religious profession. At St. Michaels School in Buckman, Minnesota, they had Benedictines of St. Joseph, Minnesota, as their teachers. Community members, family and friends, remember Sister Jean as someone that always loved life in any of its aspects. She taught in Wisconsin at Platteville (1962-65), Blessed Sacrament School in La Crosse (1966-70 and 1977-79) and Dodgeville (1973-77) also serving as principal. A second sister, Kathy, was born following the familys return to the States. FelicianSisters. Assoc. When her mother became ill, Joanne left the Benedictines to care for her until she died; subsequently, Joanne resumed her position at the Salvation Army. She was an excellent teacher, a compassionate pastoral by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jun 5, 2017 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. She also taught in Blackfoot, Idaho and St. Paul, Iowa. Sister David . No grave photo. She and her siblings enjoyed the ride to school in their carriage in the spring and fall and on the bobsled in the winter. At her baptism, she was named after her paternal aunt, Sister Lydia Wendl. She attended Glenrose Public Grade School, just a half mile from her home, until her graduation from eighth grade. Sister Cecilienne Goetz, FSPA, 97, died February 4, 2021 at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Almost every day at St. Rose Convent, Sister Gertrude could be found in the Adoration Chapel praying for her family, friends, religious community and, of course, the needs of the world. In all that we do, we seek to reveal the Kingdom of . She was always ready to share something with whomever she met, including candy from the bag constantly over her arm. Sister Michon was born to John W. and Vera (Duffy) Desmond on August 28, 1933, in Winona, Minnesota, the eldest of six children. In October, 1968, Sister Sandra professed her first vows with the Consolata Missionary Sisters of Turin, Italy. From 1983 to 1988 she was manager of the school lunch program at Holy Child Jesus School, Canton, Mississippi. Fast. In Iowa she taught at St. Lawrence School and Kuemper High School, Carroll, as well as in Breda, West Point and Spencer. For the next 20 years she ministered as an art teacher in high schools in Wisconsin (Superior, Green Bay, and at Viterbo College), as an art and religion teacher in Wausau, Wisconsin and Miles City, Montana. Her mother was quite musical and made sure Kathleen took piano lessons. Soon there were three more children growing up on the small family farm in Big River. She taught high school and was assistant principal in West Point (1958 1966) and Lansing (1966 1973), Iowa. Sister Rita was born on August 12, 1928 in Early, Iowa to Elizabeth (Faber) and Leo Jansen. In her first year in community, she was Co-Director for the La Crosse Diocese Hispanic Ministry. She learned to play the organ, violin and clarinet, but the organ was her favorite. Always interested in finding out what she could do to make life better for others, she was quick to recognize the goodness in others and reinforce it. will officiate and burial will be in the convent cemetery. Barbara Jane entered St. Rose Convent in the fall of 1951. Angel, Ore. She saw beauty in creation and in people. Sister Jeans most recent ministry was that of freelance writer and presenter. Sister Rita Marie was born the eighth of 14 children to Mathias and Emma (Dettling) Bechel on March 6, 1925, on a farm near Plum City, Wisconsin. She then returned to St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing to teach and later assist with the transition of the school to the baccalaureate degree nursing program at Viterbo University. St. Francis and St. Clare saw the good and holy possibility in the culture of everyday life. A small, but sophisticated museum at the Franciscan Life Center outlines the history of the Franciscan order and its role in central Illinois. With her health declining, Sister Clara Mae moved to Villa St. Joseph in 2015. Sister Karolyne began her ministry as a homemaker at various congregational homes and institutions, primarily in Wisconsin and Washington, before branching out into other areas. Thats what I take.. Coming to us from Dayton, Ohio, Sister Loraine entered the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in 1950 and professed perpetual vows in 1955. She was in the seventy-second year of her religious profession. She ministered there until 2021 when she moved to St. Rose Convent in La Crosse. Franciscan Sister Elaine Urbanek passes away December 27, 2022, at the age of 99 years. Sister Joan served her sisters as a homemaker for 17 years, working in the bakery at St. Rose Convent for two of those years and at convent homes in Rozellville and Dodgeville, Wisconsin; Bellevue, West Point and Breda, Iowa and Provo, Utah. In 1986 she began teaching primary grades in Monroe, Louisiana. Born on October 16, 1925, in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Helen Cecilia was the second oldest daughter of Frank and Willa (Cherrier) Keating. Sister Lydia was born to John and Mary (Danzer) Wendl on January 11, 1922, in Willey, Iowa. Come enjoy the day with a round of golf and support the Sisters' ministries. And that she did; she worked for five years for a local newspaper (The Spokesman Review), advancing to an assistant bookkeeper. Sister Lydia then served as Pastoral Care Minister at St. Annes Parish, also in Las Vegas, until she retired to St. Rose Convent in 2001. Florence was received into the novitiate on August 12, 1944 and was given the name Sister Cecilienne. Sister Lydia Wendl, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 101, died on Friday, January 27, 2023, at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Community members, family and friends remember Sister Geralyn as a kind, quiet person who always loved children, music and the parishioners at St. Joseph. Her musical productions were outstanding. She didnt enter religious life until after high school; ultimately, joining her aunt and cousin at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse. In December of that year, she was brutally attacked and burned in an assault that occurred while she was at home in the convent. She then earned a bachelors degree in elementary education from Viterbo College in La Crosse. She was an elementary school teacher for the majority of her active religious life, teaching grades one through four. During her time with the Salvation Army, she earned a masters degree in guidance and counseling from Whitworth College in Spokane. Later, after finishing her third year of high school, she asked again. Her family moved to a farm near Storm Lake, Iowa in 1947. She was living a good life, enjoying friends, family, nice clothes and her job, but was feeling an attraction to something else. In 2016 she moved to St. Rose Convent and she became a regular volunteer at the Franciscan Hospitality House. Sister Mary Philip Patin died on April 28 at the age of 93. Her creativity was expressed there in numerous ways, especially at times of the many holidays and feast days celebrated there as she decked the halls with flowers gleaned from the garden. She once commented that she thought she learned how to rip the same afternoon she learned how to sew. She loved life and the gifts God gave her during each phase of life. Sister Bernadette earned a bachelors degree in English with a minor in music from Viterbo College (University), then earned a masters degree in English with a minor in Latin from Notre Dame University, and finally received a Ph.D. in English from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She provided pastoral care at Bethany St. Joseph Nursing Home in La Crosse from 1983 to 1987. Sister Gale was baptized Lucille Michaeline, the name given by her parents Victoria and Lucian Bednarek, at St. Joseph's Church in Chicago by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jul 27, 2021 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. After attending the Creation Spirituality Program in Oakland, California, Sister Donna served on the retreat staff at Holy Cross Center in Merrill, Wisconsin. One evening as the family gathered on the porch, next to a very full rain barrel, her father teasingly picked her up and saying he was going to put her headfirst into the barrel. In 1997, Sister Cecilienne retired to Cedar Rapids where she taught ESL classes and private music lessons until moving to St. Rose Convent in 2009. Next, Sister Rita Marie taught at Holy Family School in Ashland, Wisconsin (1962-1966), then St. Henry School in Eau Galle, Wisconsin (1966-1969). She and eight of her former students from Our Lady of the Lake in Ashland participated in daily prayer with each other even during her retirement at Villa St. Joseph. At the completion of her term she moved to Sun City, Arizona, where she served as parish administrator of St. John Vianney Parish. From 1990 until 2008, she was pastoral associate at Sacred Heart Parish, Wauzeka, Wisconsin. She grew up on the family farm with her four brothers and two sisters, all younger. She was actively involved in the National Catholic Development Conference during her tenure as Director of Development. Now 89 years old, they were born in Brooklyn 15 minutes apart. Later, she returned to her baptismal name. Born on November 26, 1925, in Buckman, Minnesota, Sister Margaret was the seventh of 12 children of John and Pauline (Beka) Schmolke. After high school graduation, she felt a call to join the FSPA. Community members, family and friends will remember Sister Margaret Ann as gentle, kind and always with a smile. During high school, she participated in various sports and clubs. Sister Ellen Mary MacDonell, who served 64 years in the health care field with the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, died Dec. 27, 2022, at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, Allegany. Stay informed on the latest news from the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton, Iowa. Her elementary school years were spent at St. Marys School in Guttenberg. In 1993, Sister Pat returned to Tulsa as pastoral minister at St. Marys Parish until returning to St. Rose Convent in 1996, where she served in pastoral care to sisters retired there. In 1998, Sister Margaret Ann officially retired from teaching, but continued to volunteer at the parish and school at Our Lady of the Lake in Ashland. Numerous university students credit her for their search into the world of spirituality. After a years sabbatical at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha, Iowa, Sister Karolyne stayed on as gardener and helped in the kitchen until 2005. The Congregation's headquarters are located at Assisi Heights in Rochester, Minnesota. She also enjoyed sharing her professional expertise through service on numerous boards, including Viterbo Universitys Board of Trustees. Her passion for animals was evident to everyone, with her constantly feeding the birds, rabbits and squirrels around the motherhouse. Diverse ministries serving the marginalized involved teaching English, providing transportation, helping with housing and offering support to those experiencing mental illness. Saint of the Day. Sister Geralyn Misura, 88, died Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022, at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. She taught primary grades in Wisconsin (Auburndale, Big River, Halder), Idaho (Blackfoot) and Iowa (Muscatine, Harper, Halbur, St. Lucas, Spencer, Bellevue, Mt. One never knew what mischief she would get into next. She retired to St. Rose Convent in 2016where she continued her organ ministry and began volunteering as receptionist at Catholic Charities. Bernardine Franciscan Sisters: Our Story In 1894 Mother Veronica Grzedowska and three companions left their cloister in Poland to respond to the educational needs of children of immigrant coal miners in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception Celebrating 70 years of God's Goodness and presence in Papua New Guinea The 16th of September 2019, a special day to remember with gratitude and joyful praise for God's goodness reflected in the lives of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters [ . ] My family is a source of strength and support for me in their love and understanding. Sister Jean continued her education with a masters degree in Spanish and Foreign Languages from Purdue University. The Hospital Sisters of St. Francis operated a convent and church on a 300-acre site northeast of Springfield from 1917 until 2021. . Two years later, with the restructuring of the congregation, she was elected Regional Leader of the FSPA Western Region (1985-1993) located in Spokane. No doubt her deep faith played a role in her healing and ability to move on. When the weather was favorable, they walked three miles home, but always rode to school with their father or one of their neighbors. Her mother worked as a stenographer. From 2016 to 2019, Sister Jean was back at Viterbo University teaching classes in Franciscan Traditions and Values. In 1993, she moved to Jackson, Mississippi where she served as chaplain and hospice worker, providing care for people with HIV/AIDS at Grace House in Ridgeland. She attended St. Joseph elementary and high school in Earling. She made her home at St. Rose Convent in 2006 and moved to Villa St. Joseph in 2015 when her health began to fail. She loved exploring new opportunities and places. She lived very simply and felt relationships were more important than material things. Date of Death: August 1, 2022. She later went back to her baptismal name. During Catholic Sisters Week (March 8-14), join the congregations of Catholic Sisters and us throughout Illinois in refusing to use any single-use plastic beverage bottles. When she returned home she again asked about becoming a sister. Gertrude left home on Sept. 3, 1945 for St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Sister Evelyn entered St. Rose Convent in the fall of 1958. From 1981 to 1984 she worked as a baker in West Glacier, Montana, then three years at a university in Lockport, Illinois. Obituary Sr. Miriam Sitarz OSF Sister Miriam, 100, a sister for 84 years, died June 3, 2017 at Mary, Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. After suffering a mild stroke in 2014, she moved to St. Rose Convent. At entrance into the novitiate, she received the name Sister Ladonna. Being one with all people was not just an idea for Sandy; it was the reality she sought.