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Archived Monastery
Happenings
2007
Welcome Members of the Bismarck-Mandan Serra Club!
Sister Susan Berger, prioress, welcomes Serrans
and introduces the women in initial formation at Annunciation Monastery:
Sister Nancy Gunderson, Novice Sisters Hannah Vanorny and Madelyn Louttit and
affiliate Jessica Martin. Thank you, members of the Serra Club, for having
your meeting at Annunciation Monastery. It was a pleasure to host you!
You are always in our prayers!
Serra members enjoy tasty food and lively
conversation.
* * * * *
Hannah Vanorny Becomes a
Sister of Annunciation Monastery
Oakes, ND native, Hannah Vanorny, was recently welcomed as “Sister Hannah”
at Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, in a private ceremony as she entered
her 12-month novitiate program.
Sister Hannah, daughter of Sharon and Tom Vanorny of Oakes, says she is
getting used to being called “Sister” and to the rhythm of her new life in
the novitiate. “My parents are extremely supportive of my decision to join
the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery,” she says. Their support
is echoed by her two brothers, two sisters, aunts and uncles, and
grandfather, whom she says, “took about a million photos of the Monastery
when he visited and has shown them to everyone in Aberdeen,” where several
family members reside.
What
does this 27-year-old Sister tell her family and friends about this new
stage of her life? She says they’ve asked all kinds of questions such as,
“Can you still call us/can we call and email you?” They’ve asked if she can
continue running outdoors, one of her favorite activities. Her response to
most of those questions is “Yes, but in moderation.”
The
novitiate is a 12-month program where novice Sisters become more deeply
focused on their prayer life, learning about Benedictine history and the
history of the community, as well as getting to know themselves and members
of the community. “This year will be one giant learning experience,”
explains Sister Hannah. “I mean, how often do you get to remove some of the
distractions in your life and devote an entire year to seeking God while
learning more about your personal strengths, weaknesses and motivations?”
Under the direction of Novice Director, Sister Agatha Muggli, novices are
assigned a program of study, readings and reflection on spirituality and the
Rule of St. Benedict. Novices participate in community prayer, common work,
creative endeavors (in Sister Hannah’s case, piano lessons), internal
monastic community events and a particular ministry in service to the
community of Sisters. Sister Hannah’s work ministry is in the monastic
archives where she is assisting with archival software programs,
categorizing, organizing and labeling the pieces of history that hold much
interest for her. Having acquired her Master’s degree in U.S. History at
North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, Sister Hannah is excited about
this opportunity to learn more about the history of the Sisters of
Annunciation Monastery.
While her college and work background supports her current ministry, her
childhood was not filled with any thoughts of becoming a Sister. Having
never been involved with Sisters, she held the old stereotypes of Sisters
doing nothing but praying all day. That stereotype was broken when she
attended a vocation dinner at the Neuman Center in Moorhead, Minn. “There
were three Sisters there in everyday clothing, and as I heard their vocation
stories and witnessed an indescribable joy in them, I experienced a major
turning point in my life,” says Sister Hannah. That night her mind was
opened to God’s call and the possibility of someday becoming a Sister.
While perusing a vocation magazine, various websites and making personal
visits to monasteries, she met Annunciation Monastery’s vocation director,
Sister Kathleen Atkinson. They emailed each other and met each other at a
Perkins in Fargo, ND. “Although I’d never seen Sister Kathleen, I knew her
immediately when I walked in the door,” says Sister Hannah with a smile.
“Sister K was chatting with people and was just so welcoming.” That warm
hospitality was extended to her by all of Sisters of Annunciation Monastery
when she made a visit to the community. “And I continue to feel that
hospitality…,” she adds.
When
her busy novitiate schedule allows, Sister Hannah enjoys reading biographies
and historical books, running, riding bike, cross-stitching and card games.
She admits to having a slight obsession with doing jigsaw puzzles, “I’ve
done them all my life!”
The Benedictine
Sisters of Annunciation Monastery welcome Sister Hannah Vanorny with
gratitude and prayerful support.
*****
Not even a fire can burn out the Benedictine spirit!
Sisters Welcome Students
After a fire broke out at the University of Mary
this week, everyone switched into high gear so classes wouldn't be disrupted.
Thanks be to God, nobody was harmed in the fire, and prayers are being offered
to all affected! In true Benedictine style, staff, students and
sisters alike sprang into action - offering hospitality. The Sisters of
Annunciation Monastery have offered space in their home to house students during
some of their studies and test-taking. The students are pictured below, in
the Sisters' community room and dining room. It is a pleasure to host
these student leaders! "Let all be received as Christ."
This sight drew a few chuckles today when we saw the student backpacks
at the feet of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the angel, Gabriel.
****
Congratulations and Welcome
Novices,
Sister Madelyn and Sister Hannah!
Novice Director, Sister
Agatha Muggli, with Sister Madelyn and Sister Hannah
Mady Louttit and Hannah
Vanorny were welcomed into the community as novices on Saturday, September
8th. In a private monastic ceremony, each expressed their desire to
continue their journey as Benedictine Sisters in the novitiate. The
women were surrounded by community members who blessed them and embraced
them, addressing them as "Sister Madelyn" and "Sister Hannah." The
ceremony was followed by community prayer, dinner and joyful celebration.
Please join us in prayers of thanksgiving for Sister Madelyn and Sister
Hannah.
Prioress Sister Susan Berger and community
applaud the new novices.
The Sisters extend their blessings over
Sisters Hannah and Sister Madelyn.
* * * * *
Sisters Welcome Diocesan Pilgrimage - August 29, 2007
What a joy it was for our community to host the
Bismarck Catholic Diocesan pilgrimage group as part of their 2-day bus tour of
sacred sites throughout western and central North Dakota. The group of 101
participants joined in our Eucharist, dinner, prayer and were taken on tours.
The traveling pilgrims were blessed by the Sisters before they were off to their
next location. We hope the pilgrims feel free to come back and spend time at our
home!
 
Pilgrims at table with Sisters.
Prayer, food and lively conversation!
* * * * *
Sisters Had a Ball at Midway Lanes Bowling Alley
(Back row, lt. to rt:) Sister Eleanor,
Sister Donna, Sister Gerard, Hannah
(Front row, lt. to rt:) Sister Nancy, Sister
Kathryn, Sister Rosanne, Mady
*****
Rhubarb Anyone?
  Sisters
Kathryn and Ralphine
Sister Miriam and Sister Mary Ann helped
chop rhubarb
Sister Joseph jokingly offered her help $.25/day!
Back row: Hannah Vanorney, Sisters Nancy
Miller, JoAnn Krebsbach, Donna Johnson
Front Row: Sisters Joseph Dukart,
Kathleen Atkinson, Melissa Cote, Janet Zander (in red); Mady Louttit and Sister
Nicole Kunze
The Sisters held a "pack the U-Haul Party" for
Sister Melissa Cote (center, in brown) as she prepared to make the trip to
Creighton University, Omaha, Neb. From the looks of it, the sisters wanted
to "stow away" with her! Please keep Sister Melissa in your prayers as she
continues in her studies to become a pharmacist. (click link below to read
story from The Bismarck Tribune, permission to reprint, courtesy of the Bismarck
Tribune)
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2007/08/08/news/local/137447.txt
Sisters Janet Zander, JoAnn Krebsbach and
Thomas Welder admire rare orchid.
Several of our sisters
recently made a "pilgrimage" to behold the rare Western Prairie Fringed Orchid.
The pictures were taken in a road ditch east of Lisbon, ND, (on the Sheyenne
National Grasslands) the only place in North Dakota where it can be found.
The orchid is on the federally threatened species list. It is found in seven
states and one Canadian province and the Sheyenne National Grasslands. The
sisters agreed, it was a trip worth taking! (Photos courtesy of Sister
Nicole Kunze - see below)
Western Prairie
Fringed Orchid
*******
Sisters Celebrate 50 and 60
Years of Monastic Profession
Three sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, celebrated their 50th
anniversaries of monastic profession at a public celebration on Saturday, June
30, at Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel, Benedictine Center for Servant
Leadership.
Eucharistic liturgy was held
at 1:30 p.m. followed by a reception. Well over 300 well-wishers attended.
Sisters Renee Zastoupil,
Susan Lardy and Denise Ressler - 50 year Jubilarians
Sisters Madonna
Wagendorf and Helen Kyllingstad will celebrate their 60 years of monastic
profession in a private ceremony with the sisters in July.
****
In Loving Memory of Sister Janice Heiling
Sister Janice Heiling,
96, a founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery,
Bismarck, went home to God on April 29, 2007, at Garrison Memorial Hospital.
Sister Janice, (birth
name “Ida”) was born Oct. 21, 1910, in Browerville, Minn. to Hungarian-born
Frank and Julia (Maschler) Heiling. The third of seven children, she
developed an interest in religious life while attending a grade school
staffed by Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph, Minn. Her attraction to
religious life grew when she was a student at St. Benedict’s High School in
St. Joseph, Minn.
Sister Janice entered
St. Benedict’s Convent, St. Joseph, Minn. in 1928 and made her monastic
profession July 11, 1930. Her first assignment was to teach first grade at
St. Patrick’s School in
Dickinson, N.D. where she spent 18 years. Then in 1948, Sister Janice was
asked to teach at St. Mary’s Grade School in Bismarck. Her teaching career
spanned 38 years at St. Mary’s.
A woman of tiny
stature, Sister Janice could look her elementary students in the eye as she
taught them the 3 R’s. She was beloved as a teacher and many of her
“youngsters” included Sisters of Annunciation Monastery. One of her students
said Sister Janice was loved because she was gentle, kind and “little like
us!” The gleam in Sister Janice’s eyes shimmered with a hint of mischief
that endeared her to many.
Fiercely independent,
Sister Janice felt the need to be useful and rarely rested. After retiring
from teaching, she became a volunteer at St. Alexius Medical Center in
administration, outpatient surgery and Archway Mental Health Services. She
especially enjoyed the employees at St. Alexius. Those with whom she worked
commented about her dedication, organizational skills, and sense of service.
She continued her love
for children by volunteering as an “adopted grandparent” at St. Mary’s Parish. She
always made sure to have a little gift for her “grandchild” on special
occasions.
Throughout her life,
Sister Janice prepared for many church services as sacristan at St. Mary’s Parish, St.
Alexius and St. Alexius Convent.
Sister Janice loved her
time with the Lord in the convent garden where she tended numerous colorful
flowerbeds. Other hobbies included embroidery and needlepoint. Sister Janice
enjoyed ball games and was a loyal fan of the University of Mary Marauders
and the Minnesota Twins. She was knowledgeable about the players and their
stats, often tuning in to their games on radio or TV.
Sister Janice could
frequently be found sitting in her favorite booth in the St. Alexius
cafeteria in quiet contemplation. One might wonder if Jesus was sitting in
the empty seat across from her as they shared silent company.
Sister Janice is
survived by a sister, Catherine Heiling, Long Prairie, Minn.; a
sister-in-law, Dorothy Heiling, Browerville, Minn., nieces and nephews and
the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
Memorials may be made
to Annunciation Monastery.
To share memories of
Sister Janice, please visit
www.parkwayfuneral.com and sign the online guest book.
Reflection for the Wake of Sister Janice Heiling
2 May 2007
The sheep hear his
voice as he calls his own by name . . . and the sheep follow him because
they recognize his voice
(John 10:3,4).
A
few days ago, on Good Shepherd Sunday morning, Sister Janice heard the Voice
of Him she lovingly followed for almost a century. He had called her: to
baptism, to the intimacy of communion; to monastic life, with many decades
of prayerful service for little ones as well as the ill, her sisters in
community, and countless others she held dear. Come, said the
Shepherd, come to Me. And as ever, Janice did.
All who love and live the Rule of Benedict recognize that he was devoted to
Holy Scripture and that his favorite Scriptures were the Sapientials, the
Wisdom Books. How appropriate, then was Janice’s selection of Wisdom 9 for
the reading at this wake. It reveals her lifelong desire to live in the
spirit of this prayer of King Solomon. (Read Wisdom 9:9-10)
How willing Sister Janice was to conform to God’s commands by her
punctuality and presence whether at liturgies or answering doorbells. She
noticed where she could help and at once responded, yet without seeking
attention. For her, pleasing God was enough—hold your applause,
please.(Read Wisdom 9:11-14)
In the chapel as in the classroom, Janice was diligent, gentle, and quietly
efficient: she loved the young and stayed young at heart—delighting in
beauty, in sunsets and pink frilly blouses, in stolen bases and bright
balloons and bouquets. Her thirst for truth was insatiable too. Even after
earning a master’s in teaching, she continued to be a learner. Once when I
lived with her at St. Mary’s, I asked what she was reading, and she
explained that she had assigned herself sociology that term: she chose a
different field each year. Anybody who knows how weary one gets after
teaching small children must be awed by such dedication. It was good to find
her alert and quite fully alive as she aged.
Janice modeled stability, too, including stabilitas loci: she spent
18 years on her first assignment, St. Patrick’s, Dickinson, and more than
twice that at St. Mary’s, adapting herself graciously whether she had one of
several first-grade classes or worked alone. And when I lived at St. Mary’s,
I learned that she had been in the same room since the convent opened—with
no inclination to move. Among other qualities she exemplified was precision
in diction—a boon to her students, no doubt. Never would she lead them
astray with a German “Ja!”—her yes was yes, and her no was no—never doubt
it. When she was amused—and she readily laughed--the sound was not a jarring
interruption for others’ conversation. Was she not a fine model for anyone
with ears to hear? (Wisdom 9:16-18)
It is said of Thérèse of Lisieux that she was not well served by spiritual
directors--they could not understand her Little Way; but, as the entrance
antiphon on her feast points out, God alone understood her and led her.
Janice may have felt somewhat the same: she seldom looked for others’
counsel. When she was last a patient at St. Alexius and a visitor mentioned
her recent stroke, she sealed off the topic with, “I don’t want to think of
it or talk about it.” Three years ago, near the celebration of her diamond
jubilee, someone mentioned to Bishop Zipfel that Sister Janice was a
jubilarian. As the incident was told me, the Bishop then casually asked her,
“How old are you, Sister?” And her reply? “That’s nobody’s business,
Bishop!”
Rarely as most of us came really close to her, still we recognized her
prayerfulness and her sensitivity to beauty in little ones, in God’s good
Earth, in the flowers of her garden and the needlecraft at which she
excelled. Now that the Shepherd’s voice has sounded for her, she knows
Beauty and Truth far surpassing Earth’s; at long last, we believe Sister
Janice possesses that which eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has
it so much as dawned on us what God has prepared for those who love him.
(I Cor 2:9, RB 4:77)
Mary Elizabeth
Mason osb
Happy
90th Birthday, Sister Kathryn Zimmer!
Sister Kathryn Zimmer celebrated her 90th Birthday
at Annunciation Monastery with friends and family on Sunday, April 22. We
love you, Sister Kathryn, and wish you many more!
In Loving Memory of Sister Harlindis Fischer
Sister Harlindis
Fischer, 103, a founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation
Monastery, Bismarck, entered eternal life April 4, 2007, at a Bismarck care
center.
Sister Harlindis, whose
baptismal name was Magdalen, was born Feb. 17, 1904, in Odessa, Russia. She
was the 5th of 13 children of Frank and Anna (Frank) Fischer. In
1905 the family, which then consisted of six children, immigrated to the
United States and homesteaded on land 12 miles south of Dickinson, N.D.
Seven more children were born in the United States. The Fischers farmed
until 1941 when they moved to Dickinson.
Sister Harlindis
entered St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn. in 1923 and made
monastic profession on July 11, 1925. For 82 years she lived faithfully and
lovingly as a Benedictine sister. She served generously in food service most
of her life.
Sister Harlindis’
family was special to her. She loved her brothers and sisters, their
children and all her relatives. She very much enjoyed being with them and
was proud of them.
A wonderful baker,
Sister Harlindis served 23 years at St Alexius Medical Center stirring up
delicious homemade bread and other baked goods for the patients. She also
cooked and baked at St. Joseph’s Convent, Mandan; Bowman Hospital, Bowman,
and St. Patrick’s Convent, Dickinson. St. Patrick’s was one of her favorite
places. She felt most at home there and said her kitchen was fun and great.
After she “retired,”
she worked part-time at the monastery preparing vegetables and peeling
hundreds of potatoes. She also knitted many colorful booties for babies.
Sister Harlindis was a
kind, gentle and cheerful woman. She was quiet, but when she told stories
about her childhood or early convent days, she was quite the
conversationalist. Her beautiful smile brightened many people’s days.
She is survived by a
brother Frank (Sally), Encinita, Calif.; a brother-in-law, Frank Burgad,
Hemet, Calif., nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
Memorials may be made
to Annunciation Monastery.
Vigil service for Sister Harlindis ~
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Magdelen Fischer was born
February 17, 1904 in Odessa, Russia. As a toddler, she immigrated with her
family to the United States and homesteaded 12 miles south of Dickinson. As
a young teen, she responded to the invitation to go to Winona, Minnesota,
and become a laundress for seminarians. As an older teen, she responded to
the invitation to enter St Benedict’s Monastery, there joining her sisters
Edwalda and Clementine. As a middle aged woman she responded to the
invitation to become a founding member of our community - Annunciation
Monastery. And on April 4, 2007, Sister Harlindis responded to the greatest
invitation of all... to abandon herself totally to the God whom she sought
and served. It was the afternoon of Sister Mary Alice’s funeral - it was
possible only because she had spent a lifetime responding in her own gentle
way.
What are the images that
come to mind and heart when I think of Sister Harlindis?
It is found in the first
word of the reading from Sirach: “Happy”
Happy is the person who meditates on wisdom.
Happy is the person who reflects in her heart.
Happy is the person who ponders wisdom’s secrets.”
Meditates...reflects ...
ponders
Sister Harlindis’ life
was not an easy one - no one who truly is a reflective person finds life
easy. But Sister Harlindis knew the secret to deep happiness was service to
others in whatever way she was able and a gentle, intimate understanding
that she and I talked about on one of our many trips to Dickinson. It’s from
this reading from Julian of Norwich:
"It was at this time
that our Lord showed me spiritually how intimately He loves us. I saw that
He is everything that we know to be good and helpful. In His love He clothes
us, enfolds and embraces us; that tender love completely surrounds us never
to leave us. As I saw it He is everything that is good.
And He showed me more.
A little thing, the size of a nut, on the palm of my hand; round like a
ball. I looked at it thoughtfully and wondered: “What is this” and the
answer came “It is all that is made.” I marveled that it continued to exist
and did not suddenly disintegrate it was so small. And again my mind
supplied the answer ‘It exists, both now and for ever, because God loves
it,’ In short, everything owes is existence to the love of God."
ister Harlindis was
happy because she knew that she existed simply because God loved her:
God loved her - that
pioneer daughter who helped her father build a sod house in Dickinson while
most of the family stayed behind in the Strasburg area until a home was
ready for them.
God loved her - that
risk-taker who boarded a train for Minnesota where she knew no one to work
and send money back to her family
God loved her - that
quiet woman who could talk non-stop from Bismarck to Dickinson and then back
again with only a prompting question about her childhood
God loved her - that
woman of gentle humor - who asked one night when we were slow to stand up at
the end of Sunday dinner - “What’s that new official going to do? Just leave
us here and have them bring breakfast?”
God loved her. And she so
loved God. Happy is such a woman!
In today’s Gospel, the
reading from John is of Mary Magdalene (Sister Harlindis’ baptismal name)
standing at the empty tomb weeping and bewildered.
But then she hears her
name. And she knows her Lord.
The journey of these past
months has been profound for us as a community and our families …perhaps a
time of weeping and bewilderment…...deaths, illness, challenging decisions,
Feast Days, a monastic profession, music and art, spring.
Holy
Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday.
And Sister Harlindis
gently gathers us in this holy season, to remember that which is most
central to life - living the days we are given, no matter how many or how
few, in the presence of God who loves us.
We stand at the tomb and
stare in…unsure of the meaning of the past events. But Sister Harlindis? She
knows. She hears the voice calling her name: She turns and recognizes her
Risen Lord.
No doubt she is wearing
her best Sunday shoes as they shuffle off together to meet her family, her
Sisters, and the many people she has nourished throughout her long, full,
lifetime.
God loves her. And she
loves God. Happy is she.
In Loving Memory of Sister Mary Alice Eckroth
Sister Mary Alice Eckroth, 70, a member of the Benedictine Sisters of
Annunciation Monastery, went home to God Monday, April 2, 2007, at the
monastery.
Sister Mary Alice, whose baptismal name was Charlotte Ann, was born Oct. 5,
1936, in Mandan, ND, the first of four daughters of Gabriel E. and Alice
(Larson) Eckroth. Impressed by the Benedictines who taught her at St.
Joseph’s Grade School, Mandan, and others she met later, she felt a call to
become a Benedictine sister. She entered Annunciation Monastery on Dec. 8,
1953, and made monastic profession July 11, 1955.
She
taught the elementary grades for 26 years in schools in Dickinson, Flasher,
and Mandan. Then she made a career change and for 23 years served in the
Health Information Management Department at St. Alexius Medical Center.
An
adventurous person, Sister Mary Alice had a great love for nature. She found
joy in being outdoors, whether it was camping, hiking, fishing, bird
watching, horseback riding or gardening. This deep appreciation for creation
brought her close to God.
Also
dear to her heart was the Native American culture. While exploring the
prairies of North Dakota, she searched for Native American artifacts and
medicine wheels. She often invited friends to go with her to powwows so they
could experience the richness of the culture. Sister Mary Alice learned the
craft of bead work and enjoyed teaching religion to children at the United
Tribes Technical College.
She
relished telling about her adventures in exploring the land and of her
childhood days.
Sister Mary Alice was an unassuming person with a heart of gold. She was
generous with her time, had kind words for everyone and was so grateful for
what people did for her especially in her last illness.
She
was a woman loved by many people especially her co-workers at St. Alexius
Medical Center. The most precious gift she gave them was that she prayed for
them. She reminded them of God and the power of prayer. When one thinks of
Sister Mary Alice, two phrases come to mind which she said frequently, “God
bless you and I will pray for you.” And she meant what she said.
She
is survived by her mother, Alice Eckroth, Ellendale, ND; two sisters,
Margaret (Henry) Lebak, Bismarck; Ruth (Orlin) Hartman, Monango, ND, nieces
and nephews, and the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
She
was preceded into eternal life by her father, Gabriel, and a sister, Jean
Heinert.
* * * * *
This gorgeous piece of art was created by Sister
Nancy Gunderson - it tells the story from Genesis of the six days of creation.
Title: "In the beginning."
* * * * *
Annunciation Monastery Welcomes
Christian Singer/Songwriter Jesse
Manibusan!
What a gift it was to share our home with the
amazingly talented Jesse Manibusan. Jesse is pictured here (center) with
local artists, Craig Schweitzer and Jay Griffin. They jammed here at the
monastery prior to Jesse's performance at the University of Mary. Our
prayers go to Jesse (and his family) for blessings in his powerful music
ministry. Thanks, Jesse, for reminding us that "God is good...all the
time!"
Students, sisters, music ministers were treated to
some one-on-one time with Jesse.
*****
IN LOVING MEMORY OF SISTER MARTHA CLARE KILZER
Born January 15, 1920 * Professed July 11, 1944 *
Died February 27, 2007
Sister Martha Clare
Kilzer, 87, a founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery,
Bismarck, entered eternal life February 27, 2007, at a Bismarck care center.
Martha and her
identical twin, Clare, were born Jan. 15, 1920, to Joseph and Beata
(Schnell) Kilzer in Richardton, N.D. They were the 8th and 9th
of the Kilzers’ 12 children. When they were sophomores in high school, Clare
died from the effects of rheumatic fever contacted at the age of 10. Martha
deeply missed her twin.
After high school,
Martha attended the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn. where she met
the Benedictine Sisters who operated the college. She finished her junior
year when the United States became involved in World War II and she wanted
to become an army nurse. After a year’s study at St. Alexius School of
Nursing, Bismarck, she realized that her life’s call was not to be an army
nurse but to become a sister and she entered St. Benedict’s Monastery, St.
Joseph, Minn. She made her monastic profession July 11, 1944. That same year
Sister Martha Clare volunteered for the new community in Bismarck,
Annunciation Monastery.
A loving and lovable
woman, Sister Martha Clare dedicated her life to service, gratitude and a
deep love of Jesus and people of all ages. Her patient and adaptable
personality was an asset to the ministries in which she served.
She taught at St
Joseph’s School, Dickinson; Cathedral School, Bismarck; St. Lawrence School,
Flasher, was secretary to the prioress for Annunciation Monastery and the
first librarian at what was then Mary College, now the University of Mary.
She also served as librarian at St Emma’s Convent, Greensburg, Pa., and as
principal of St Egbert’s School, Morehead City, N.C. where the parish set up
the “Sister Martha Clare Foundation” for scholarships for needy children.
Throughout her life,
Sister Martha Clare possessed the grace of accepting each new challenge and
assignment with a quiet reserve and determination to glorify God in each
ministry. She will be remembered and missed for her gentle nature, quiet
sense of humor and concern for others.
She is survived by her
sister, Sister Helen, Bismarck; two brothers, George, Mesa, Ariz., Walter,
Dickinson; many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of Annunciation
Monastery.
Sister Nancy Gunderson Makes
First Monastic
Profession
February 10, 2007
“This community is a gift and
a blessing,” remarked Sister Nancy Gunderson following the ceremony of her first
monastic profession Feb. 10, on the Feast of St. Scholastica. This step takes
her closer to becoming a full member of the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
Before requesting to make
first profession, Sister Nancy fulfilled the required year of novitiate, which
is a year of intense immersion into monastic life and study of the Rule of St.
Benedict. The Sisters are committed to supporting her in her search for God and
in service to God’s people.
During the ceremony, Sister
Nancy was asked the question, “What do you seek?” Her response, “I seek God by
being obedient and by being faithful to the monastic journey together with you.”
A silver pin, bearing the
image of the bell banner, was presented to Sister Nancy symbolizing her
commitment to Annunciation Monastery. She chose a reading for the ceremony that
speaks to her about this journey. Her chosen verse was “that my joy may be
yours and your joy may be complete,” from (John 15:9-17) Sister Nancy felt she
touched into that joy. “The beauty of the feast day liturgy for the Feast of
St. Scholastica touched me deeply,” she explains. “It spoke of sentiments my own
heart echoes.”
With a sense of peacefulness,
happiness, excitement and a sense of rightness about this community, Sister
Nancy looks forward to her next step in ministry in service to God and the
community.
Sister Nancy
Gunderson and Sister Agatha Muggli, director of initial formation
* * * * *
In Loving Memory of Sister Mary Martha Dickson
Sister Mary Martha Dickson,
94, a founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck,
went home to God Feb. 15, 2007, in a Garrison care center.
Visitation begins at 4 p.m.
Saturday at the monastery and continues until the time of the funeral. A wake
service is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Feb.18 at the monastery.
Alice Catherine was born
June 22, 1912, in Tacoma, Wash. She was the second of six children of Amos and
Martha (Delaney) Dickson. Her mother died during the flu epidemic of 1918, six
days after giving birth to the youngest child. Her father remarried and the
children were raised by their stepmother.
In 1933 Alice attended the
perpetual monastic profession of her cousin at St. Benedict’s Monastery, St.
Joseph, Minn. This was her first introduction to sisters and she was so
attracted to the lifestyle, a year later she also entered that monastery. When
she was a novice, she was given the name Mary Martha. She made monastic
profession on July 11, 1938.
In 1941 after earning a
degree in dietetics from the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, Minn., Sister
Mary Martha came to St. Alexius Medical Center, Bismarck, where she spent the
next 55 years of her life.
She served 40 years as a
dietitian, then in pastoral care and later as a volunteer in intensive care and
the medical library. She also taught nutrition to students at the St. Alexius
School of Nursing and the University of Mary.
She loved being at St.
Alexius because she could put her whole self into helping others. Her motto was
truly, “receive all as Christ.”
A wonderful dietitian and
cook, Sister Mary Martha was known for her hospitality which she frequently
expressed through well-prepared food. She believed that food touched the heart
of another person and nourished both body and soul. In addition to her regular
duties, she enjoyed preparing special meal events – teas, banquets and parties.
All were well-cooked and elegantly served.
Nothing that was asked of
her was too much and she did everything she could to help others. She had a
great respect and reverence for people. Her gift of compassion supported those
facing life’s challenges.
Sister Mary Martha was a
woman of deep gratitude, for the goodness of God, for the kindnesses shown her
by others. She had the ability to accept the joys and sorrows of life with a
thankful heart. She once said, “For all God’s goodness to me, eternity will
hardly be long enough for me to offer thanks.”
She enjoyed pottery and for
over 39 years created chalices and candle holders for worship and prayer. She
also did excellent needlework and loved to give away her creations as well as
teach others how to do these crafts.
She is survived by her
sister, Marie Middaugh, Tacoma, Wash., nieces and nephews, special friends and
the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
In Loving Memory of
Sister Georgella Sickler
Reflection at the Wake of
Sister Georgella Sickler
All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed
yourselves with him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or
freeman, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus (Gal 3:27-28)
This
passage from Paul’s letter to Galatia’s Christians comes just before the reading
Sister Georgella selected for our vigil tonight. Even in the natural sense, she
had known emancipation, for although born the subject of an ancient empire, she
gladly spent most of her long life as a free citizen of these United States. Yet
even here, the Sicklers cherished their European heritage. Once, when asked if
they were German-Russian, Sister Mariette was quick to say, “We’re
German-Hungarians!”
Baptized
when six days old and so freed in Christ forever, Georgella rejoiced to be a
child of the Resurrection. We all recognized, too, her reverence for the human
mother of God’s Son. In the foyer display you can find a certificate of her
perpetual membership in the Association of the Miraculous Medal, one of many
proofs of her Marian devotion.
The
display offers evidence of the wide interests she pursued when not engaged in
ministry for us, her monastic community, for whom she fulfilled well many and
varied assignments both in our diocese and earlier in St. Cloud. She was a good
seamstress, cook, and laundress, unwilling to settle for sameness or routine
because she wanted to learn always and live fully, to create beauty and spread
laughter. Therefore, she became a systematic collector—of recipes, of home
remedies, of quilling and card-making skills, which provided outlets for
artistry; a collector even of jokes. In a 1949 notebook—that takes us back
almost 60 years!--she typed numerous jokes. I happened on one about Msgr. Fulton
Sheen. He was lost in an unfamiliar town, so asked some workmen on the street
how to get to City Hall for a meeting. The fellow who gave him directions asked
the reason for this meeting. Monsignor explained he was to talk to a prayer
group. His topic was how to get to heaven. “But,”exclaimed one of the workers,
“you can’t even find City Hall!”
How
Sister Georgella, whose holy patron was a dragon-slayer, must be happy to hear
us laughing this evening, even as we remember her in prayer; for in heaven, St.
Augustine says, the alleluias are but prolonged and joyous laughter at seeing,
as she does, we feel sure, what God has prepared for those who love him (I Cor
2:9).
Mary Elizabeth Mason osb
*
* * * *
In Loving Memory of
Sister Marilyn Sieloff
Sister Marilyn Sieloff,
93, a founder of the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck
went home to God January 16, 2007, in a Bismarck care center.
Mary Elizabeth was born
August 19, 1913, in Minneapolis. She was the first of three children of August
and Magdalen (Swadner) Sieloff. In 1931, she entered St. Benedict’s Monastery,
St. Joseph, Minn., was given the name “Sister Marilyn,” and made monastic
profession July 11, 1933.
In 1940 she was sent to St.
Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck where she taught art and English for 23
years. In 1947 when Annunciation Monastery became an independent foundation,
she transferred her monastic commitment from St. Benedict’s to the new Bismarck
community. Here she served as teacher and director for newcomers to the
monastic community. A kind, prayerful and faithful monastic woman, Sister
Marilyn inspired these attributes in others.
Always eager to learn and
with a passion for Biblical studies, she earned a master’s degree in theology
from St. John’s University, Collegeville, Minn. and taught Scripture courses at
the University of Mary for 14 years. As chair of the philosophy/theology
division, she pioneered the beginning of the pastoral ministry major at the
university. She also taught in the Diocese of Bismarck’s diaconate program for
10 years.
Sister Marilyn’s passion for
Scripture inspired her to start Bible study groups for women in Bismarck which
she remained a part of for 20 years. Sister Marilyn loved liturgical and
personal prayer which helped transform her into a God centered woman with a deep
love for people. She enjoyed a good conversation and was concerned about the
well being of others. She once wrote: “More and more I feel we must know we are
loved by God. If we allow this love to fill our hearts to the brim, it will
overflow onto our neighbor.”
Sister Marilyn lived what
she taught. Her gentle nature revealed a woman of great faith, love, acceptance
and perseverance. She marveled at her call to become a monastic and wrote: “I
often think how awesome it is that God chose me to enter the ‘school of the
Lord’s service.’ Through the years it has given me a sense of worth and also of
responsibility to bear fruit. I am convinced that this grace of vocation came
because of the Holy Spirit working in me.”
Sister Marilyn is survived
by nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
Memorials may be made to
Annunciation Monastery for the formation and education of new members.
Sisters Welcome Guests to
See Breuer Architecture
Kiyoka Takiura,
Sister Edith Selzler and Yutaka Takiura, AIA,
in front of Annunciation Monastery Bell
Banner
Architect Travels in Legend's Footsteps
Text
reprinted with permission from The Bismarck
Tribune, Story by KAREN HERZOG
(Jan. 6, 2007)
Any good
technician can build a functionally perfect
house. But a serious architect will do more,
infusing space with beauty, soul and wisdom,
creating places that interact with time and
the seasons and honor their surroundings.
The late
Marcel Breuer was such an architect and the
man who envisioned the vistas, the nooks,
the textures and subtleties of Bismarck's
Annunciation Monastery, built during
1958-1963 by request of the Benedictine
Sisters after seeing Breuer's work at St.
John's University in Minnesota.
This week,
New York City architect Yutaka Takiura made
a visit to the Bismarck monastery to see
Breuer's work in person. Born in Japan,
Takiura studied architecture in the U.S. and
worked with Breuer's partner, the late
Herbert Beckhard.
An
architect, urban designer and professor,
Takiura has studied Breuer's architecture
for the past 10 years and restored some of
Breuer's famous buildings, including the
Ferry House at Vassar College in 2003, said
Jill Ackerman, communications director for
the monastery.
Takiura,
who had visited St. John's University last
summer, also to see Breuer's creations, was
accompanied by his mother, Kiyoka Takiura,
who is pastor of a Japanese church. Sister
Edith Selzler, a member of the Annunciation
community and a longtime student of Breuer's
work, accompanied the pair on a tour of the
structures.
Takiura had
seen photos of Breuer's work at
Annunciation, but the reality is always
different, he said.
In photos,
the concrete and stone structures of the
chapel, canopies and bell banner look
massive, almost brutal, but in person there
is an intimacy to the spaces that is
characteristic of Breuer and modernist work,
he said.
Modernism,
so new in the 1910s and 1920s, so different
from the formality of previous architecture,
appealed to Takiura as a student, because
the movement changed the way we think about
the space we use - "people are more free in
the space," he said.
Annunciation's chapel, for example, is so
different from the traditional Gothic
church, he said.
Breuer
truly understood the importance of scale, he
said, choosing the height of ceilings to
create intimate spaces and the width of
corridors and the length of walkways to
evoke reflectiveness. An architect also has
the power to manipulate space to frame a
view, close off or open up vistas in turn,
he said.
The use of
natural materials, their beauty unhidden,
brings forward their texture; the use of
local materials fits the context of a
building's surroundings, its neighborhood,
its community, Takiura said.
"People
feel comfortable (with natural materials),"
he said. "It has shape and beauty, and
people know how to use it.
"You feel
good when you touch natural materials. It
appeals to the five senses."
As a
professor, Takiura finds that he has
gravitated to the same teaching style that
Breuer used at Harvard. Breuer would never
reach in and draw over a student's work;
rather, he would ask questions, listen,
guide. Takiura asks students to consider
space and light in their work, "what happens
in summer, what happens in winter -
massaging their brains, bringing out their
creativity," he said.
Takiura
said that his generation of architects is
the last to touch Breuer and the modernists
in real time; his generation's job, he said,
is to bring that design wisdom to new
generations of architectural students
dazzled by trends and fads.
Takiura
works with clients in the same manner, he
said. His role is to open up possibilities
beyond the magazine picture they may have
brought in for him to copy, to get people to
consider: "What's done in this space? What
do they experience in this space?"
Like
Breuer, he aims for spaces that have
surprises - an angle that brings in the best
light one particular morning of the year,
spaces that have a magical quality, a "wow"
moment.
Takiura was
able to visit with Breuer's widow during the
last years of her life. Modernism, she told
him, was not about the flashy or the
expensive - "it was all about decency," she
said, about sharing technology and design
with the wider world.
After
living with the care and thought that went
into the details of Breuer's houses, Takiura
said, "If (every night) you go to sleep
looking at the best, at something you love,
and every morning you wake up to the best -
10 years later, your life's totally
different.
"That's the
importance of design."
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