Meet Our Sisters

Sister Rebecca grew up on a farm near Mott, ND. The seed to become a sister was planted in her mind at the age of 12 when her teacher, Sister Helen Margaret, spoke to her students about the call to religious life. Rebecca casually tossed that thought aside but kept being “reminded” of

God’s call throughout her childhood. A musician at heart, God even gently called her through music. The sisters taught her to play piano and allowed her to practice on their piano since she had no piano at home. “I would practice and hear their joyful conversations in the background,” she recalls. Through that joyful sound, she felt God’s presence.

After graduating from high school, Rebecca announced to her mother that she thought she wanted to become a sister. She says, “I’ll never forget how my mother’s face lit up when I told her!” Her mother recommended that she correspond and visit with the sisters. That is exactly what she did and it turned into a relationship that affirmed her thoughts of becoming a sister. On Sept. 6, 1954, Sister Rebecca entered Annunciation Monastery and she made monastic profession on July 11, 1956. Her sister, Rachel, also later became a Benedictine Sister of Annunciation Monastery.

Sister Rebecca holds a BA in music, a master’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in music and liturgy. Her extensive background in music composition and worship opened many doors to her. She taught music in schools in Bismarck, Mandan and Dickinson. Sister Rebecca worked for the Diocese of Bismarck as associate director of the Office of Worship for over 10 years. She served on the lay advisory board for Garrison Memorial Hospital and currently serves on the University of Mary Board of Trustees. She is a member of the National Pastoral Musicians Association. She spearheaded a 10-year project to create 10 volumes of new prayer books for the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.

Sister Rebecca looks back on her 50 plus years as a sister as blessed. “I used to think the tasks ahead of me seemed so hard, but I would think of all of the sisters who accomplished so much and they always inspired me to keep trying. There was always someone in community, sometimes the most unlikely person, who would support me through any challenges I encountered. It’s still that way. I am always lifted up by God and this community of sisters.”