|
Archived Monastery
Happenings
December 2009
Homily for the Funeral of Sister
Edane
Volk
by Father Daniel
Maloney
Having a home—a place to live—is important for all of us,
although there are people in our society who are homeless.
I read a Christmas letter recently from a man now living in
California who had lived in North Dakota for many years. He
lives near a forest area, and he mentioned that this year
there was a brush fire near his home. He could see the fire
coming down the hill headed for his house. He escaped
safely, and the fire came within a few hundred yards of his
house, but the fire did not damage his house. Fortunately,
there was not much wind that day.
Whether we live in a house, or in a monastery, or in some
other sort of dwelling, the prospect of losing our home
could be frightening. Yet all of us at some point must
leave our earthly home behind and pass from this life to the
next. How we view all this is important. Some people in
our society deny this is going to happen to them, while
others look at death as something negative, something to be
postponed as long as possible. But through faith we can see
going from this life to the next as something positive.
Indeed we can have the hope that our new heavenly home will
be much better than the one we have now.
Today we gather to mourn and remember Sr. Edane Volk, who
passed from this life a week ago today. Our liturgy and
Scripture readings today give us the hope that Sr. Edane has
gone to a new home in heaven. In terms of our first reading
from the Book of Job, we believe that Sr. Edane can now see
God, and that her longing for God will be fulfilled.
Our hope that Sr. Edane is now in heaven is not just wishful
thinking on our part, but it is based on our faith in Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ rose from the dead, and He promised us
that he was going to prepare a place for us in heaven.
There is plenty of room for all of us. St. Paul in his
letter to the Philippians tells us that we are citizens of
heaven, and that heaven is our true home. Our homes here on
earth are just temporary. Our heavenly home will last
forever. We may wonder how all this is possible. St. Paul
tells us that the Lord Jesus Christ has the power to
transform our lowly bodies to conform with his glorified
body. While Sr. Edane lived a fairly long life, dying at
age one hundred and one, this is a relatively short time in
comparison with eternity. While our earthly bodies wear
out, our heavenly bodies will not. God will change us so
that we can enjoy our heavenly home forever.
Even though Jesus has prepared a heavenly home for us, as
the Gospel reading from St. John tells us, we may wonder,
like the apostle Thomas, how we will know the way to get
there. Jesus tells us that he is the way, the truth, and
the life. Getting to our heavenly home is not automatic,
but if we follow the teaching and example of Jesus, we will
get to the right destination. Jesus shares his life with us
in the sacraments and in other ways so that we will be able
to follow him and find the right way to live.
Sr. Edane was a person of faith who was raised in a Catholic
family. She entered religious life at a fairly young age
and lived her religious vows faithfully for many years.
Today we can have the hope that she will attain her goal of
being with the Lord Jesus in heaven and with all the
faithful who went before her.
Sr. Edane would want at least two things from us today.
First of all, she would want our prayers so that she can be
cleansed from any sin and thus be able to enter into
heavenly glory. Secondly, she would want us to follow her
example, to put our faith in Jesus and follow Him to the
best of our ability. In our Eucharist today may we keep in
mind that we too have a heavenly home awaiting us, and may
we live accordingly.
* * * * *
Funeral Reflection Sister Edane Volk, OSB
by Sister Nancy Miller, OSB, Prioress
December
28, 2009
In
reflecting on what I know about Sister Edane and in hearing
many of you talk about her, I believe her message to us
today would be to trust in the Lord always no matter what
happens in our lives.
From an
early age, Sister Edane relied on God, entering the
monastery at age 18. Many years later on her 75th
anniversary of monastic profession, she recalled that her
family didn’t think she had the stamina to remain in the
monastery. “But the Lord took over,” she said with that
characteristic twinkle in her eye. She added “As a sister,
you can do so much good for people.”
In her
humble, gentle and kind way, Sister Edane did do much good
for people. As the second prioress of Annunciation
Monastery, she guided the community through a period of
tremendous growth and new ventures –the construction of a
new monastery, the beginnings of the University of Mary,
opening of rural hospitals, expansion projects at St Alexius
and Garrison Hospital, plus staffing numerous Catholic
schools in the diocese and sending sisters to surrounding
parishes to teach catechism to children. All of this must
have taken a great trust in God for both Sister Edane and
the community.
Mary
College was started in 1959 and had a humble beginning.
After all, what did the sisters know about running a
college? When doubts were raised about maintaining a viable
college, Sister Edane repeated what she had said to the
sisters many times. “If the college is the Lord’s work, it
will keep going.” Through all the challenges of such growth
and change, Sister Edane was steadfast in her great trust in
God.
Sister
Edane had a great love for music. She taught music to grade
school children, played the organ in churches, and she
encouraged the community to sing chant beautifully and
prayerfully. Even when she was a resident in St. Benedict’s
Place at St. Vincent’s she would light up and give us one of
her great smiles when she heard beautiful music.
It was
the last years of her life that I am sure were the hardest
for her. How does one explain the mystery of Alzheimer’s
disease? Why does God allow one’s memory and then one’s
body to gradually unravel? I believe Sister Edane would
tell us to continue to trust in God no matter what happens.
I believe that is what she did. One of her favorite psalms
was 62, which says, “Trust in God at all times.” Another
favorite was Psalm 73 which is especially fitting for Sister
Edane. The psalmist writes, “Though my flesh and my heart
waste away, God is the rock of my heart and my portion
forever.”
Through baptism, Sister Edane was marked with the sign of
the cross. And it is through baptism that she and all
believers have hope in the resurrection. Sister Edane had
this lifetime to experience large and small deaths and
resurrections, until at last the day came, and she crossed
the threshold into eternal life. She now participates in
the resurrection where she experiences newness of life,
nothing at all will hold her down, certainly not
Alzheimer’s, and she will rise to a glory that shall not
end. Jesus taught us this hope by his suffering, death and
resurrection from the dead.
Sister
Edane we praise and thank God for the gift of your life
among us. We rejoice that you are now making beautiful
music to the Lord in the company of all the saints.
* * * * *
Reflection for the Funeral of Sister
Bernadette Fisher, OSB
by Sister
Nancy Miller, OSB, Prioress
December
23, 2009
When the
phone rang here at the monastery on Sunday morning we
expected to be informed that Sister Edane had gone to God;
instead we were surprised to learn that it was Sister
Bernadette who died. It was a shock to all of us. We knew
she was sick from acute leukemia, but didn’t expect her to
leave us quite so quickly.
But she
was ready. Two years ago she completed her funeral plans,
wrote a first draft of an obituary, and listed people to
contact. On December 11th, just a couple of weeks ago, she
was anointed right here in this chapel during our community
Advent prayer service celebrating the sacrament of the
sick.
The
reading for today’s Gospel which Sister Bernadette chose, is
so fitting for her. Jesus tells his disciples, “Let your
lamps be burning ready …. The Son of Man will come when you
least expect Him.” We don’t know if Sister Bernadette
expected Jesus to come for her last Sunday, but we do know
she was ready. When I visited with her just days before her
death, she told me how hard it was to learn of the serious
illness she had. But she was quick to point out that she
was willing to do whatever it was that God was calling her
to. More time with her community, family and friends would
be nice but there was peace in her heart when she thought
about the joy of eternal life.
She had
been preparing for this moment all her life. Through
communal and personal prayer, spiritual reading, and living
the monastic life, she developed a relationship with Jesus
and was concerned for God’s people. She often went out of
her way to help others -- as teacher, in the medical library
at St. Alexius and here at the monastery. Her letter
writing brought joy to many, and the stamps she so
faithfully collected for the missions helped the poor.
But I
believe it was her illness and pain from arthritis which she
endured for years that purified and molded her into the
loving woman that she was. Sister Bernadette didn’t ask for
her cross, but she carried it as gracefully as she could.
She often said, “What good does it do to complain?” Other
times when asked how she was, she would simply say “I am
still smiling.” Her illness and pain prepared her to let go
when the moment of death came. Sister Bernadette now lives
with newness of life and is experiencing what St. Paul wrote
to the Romans, “If then we have died with Christ, we believe
that we shall also live with him. We shall be united with
him in the resurrection.”
Her
preparation for participating in the resurrection is not
unlike the theme of purifying found in today’s first reading
from the prophet Malichi. He predicts that the Lord will
come and be like the refiner’s fire, or like the fuller’s
lye. He will purify the sons of Levi refining them like gold
or silver that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord.”
The Lord
comes and purifies us too through our pain and challenges of
life so that we might offer to God whatever is asked of us.
If we yield to God’s transformation process, we too will be
ready to meet Jesus when he comes for us. Like Sister
Bernadette, we need to be ready ---- for the Son of Man
comes when we least expect Him.
* * * * *
Homily for the Funeral of Sister Bernadette
Fisher
by Father Bruce Krebs
Sister Bernadette and I became acquainted back in 1977 when I was a
deacon with Monsignor Walsh at St. Patrick’s in Dickinson.
Sister Bernadette was living at St. Patrick’s and serving as
Assistant Superintendent for the Dickinson Catholic Grade
Schools. I did a bit of teaching at St. Patrick’s Grade
School and attended some of Sister Bernadette’s faculty
meetings.
The following year I was ordained a priest and was assigned across
town at St. Wenceslaus parish. I was also asked to do some
teaching at Trinity High School and through that I really
got to know Sister Bernadette. I had never had a class in
the Education field and had no clue how to do lesson plans
and certainly had no idea how to keep control of a classroom
full of High School juniors. It was at this time that Sister
Bernadette took me under her wing and helped me survive this
ordeal. I’ll always be grateful for her reaching out to me
during this tough time. We continued to maintain a
friendship over the years.
Sister Bernadette was a good educator and a faithful religious. She
shared a lot with me over the years and I learned much from
her. She had a can-do outlook and a very positive attitude.
She so often said to me, “Keep a song in your heart” and I
know this is something she did herself.
The Scripture readings today are about being prepared. Being the
good organizer she was, Sister Bernadette lived her life
prepared for whatever was coming up. The reading from
Malachi sounds so much like Lent to me, especially the parts
about purifying and refining. Lent was never Sister
Bernadette’s favorite season. I think she’d have chosen
Advent over Lent to go home to God. Anyway, I think her
entire life was one of constantly being purified and
refined. Sister Bernadette, being the faithful religious
that she was strived to be obedient to her superiors.
Sometimes that was not easy for her and was purified through
it.
Of course, we never know the day nor the hour when the Master will
come for us as the Gospel indicates. Therefore, it is urgent
that we stay the course day by day. When I called the
hospital Saturday after Fr. Gene informed me Sister was in,
the nurse gave me every indication Sister Bernadette would
be around for lots of time yet. The Master had other plans.
I believe Sister Bernadette was ready, however.
It was about two months ago now that I received a letter from
Sister Bernadette. I wish I had saved it. In her very
articulate way she described how content and peaceful she
felt about her life. I could feel the peace she felt in just
reading her letter. It was so good to hear how in spite of
the aches and pains and all life dealt out for this ninety
plus year old religious, she was accepting of it as her own
“yes” to God at this stage of her life. She was totally at
peace with herself and with God.
The Scripture readings today challenge me and probably all of us to
live in this kind of acceptance every day, that we might
truly find ourselves ready when the Master returns for each
of us.
* * * * *
In
Loving Memory of Sister Edane
Volk
Sister
Edane Volk, 101, a founder and the second prioress of the
Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck,
entered eternal life Dec. 21, 2009, at a Bismarck care
center. By virtue of her role as prioress, she was also the
first president of the University of Mary when it began in
1959.
Mass of
Christian Burial will be held at 4 p.m. Monday in the chapel
of Annunciation Monastery. Visitation starts at 3 p.m.
Saturday at the monastery and continues until the time of
the funeral. A wake service is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sunday
at the monastery.
Sister
Edane (Caroline), the youngest of 12 children of Joseph and
Francisca (Miller) Volk, was born Oct. 12, 1908, in Rugby,
ND.
She
entered St. Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn. in 1926
and made monastic profession on July 11, 1928. With the
love of music in her heart, she spent the next 25 years
teaching music and playing the organ in schools and churches
in Dickinson and Mandan.
In 1953
she was elected prioress of Annunciation Monastery, a
position she held until 1966. Under her leadership, the
Benedictines built a new monastery designed by noted
architect Marcel Breuer, began the University of Mary,
staffed a number of Catholic schools and opened rural
hospitals. There were also expansion projects at St.
Alexius Medical Center and Garrison Memorial Hospital.
“It is
the Lord’s work,” she often said. “But we have to do our
part by donating not only our work but also our lives to
God.”
As
prioress she was grounded in her love for monastic life and
deeply reliant on the sustaining grace of God. She
recognized others’ gifts and graciously delegated authority
to sisters she appointed to various positions. An even
temperament, a gentle and pleasant personality and firmness
in self-discipline made her a trusted community leader.
After her
tenure as prioress, Sister Edane taught private piano
lessons at the Cathedral Music Studio and lived with the
sisters at St. Alexius Medical Center where she was
organist.
In 1987
she retired to the monastery where she volunteered wherever
she could and spent her time in prayer ministry. She will be
remembered with gratitude by her monastic community.
She is
survived by nieces and nephews and the Sisters of
Annunciation Monastery.
Memorials
may be made to Annunciation Monastery.
To share
memories of Sister Edane, please visit
www.parkwayfuneral.com and sign the online guest book.
(Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck)
In
Loving Memory of Sister Bernadette Fisher
Sister
Bernadette Fisher, 92, a founder of the Benedictine Sisters
of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, entered eternal life
Dec. 20, 2009, at a local medical center.
Mass of
Christian Burial will be held at 4 p.m. Wednesday in the
chapel of Annunciation Monastery. Visitation begins today
at 4:30 p.m. at the monastery and continues until the time
of the funeral. A wake is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at
the monastery.
Sister
Bernadette (Bernice Louise) was born Jan. 5, 1917, in
Dickinson, ND to Earl and Bernadette (Brown) Fisher. The
oldest of six children, she grew up in an atmosphere of a
loving family. Her acquaintance with the Holy Cross sisters
in Dickinson attracted her to religious life. The day she
made her first Holy Communion she prayed “to be a sister.”
This desire never left her.
She
became familiar with Benedictine sisters when she attended
St. Benedict’s College in Minnesota. She entered St.
Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn. in 1936 and made
monastic profession July 11, 1938.
Sister
Bernadette was a teacher for more than 45 years. She taught
a variety of elementary grades and also served as principal
in some schools. A much beloved teacher, she often went
beyond the call of duty to help her students.
She
taught at St. Joseph School, Christ the King School, Mandan;
St. Joseph’s School, St. Patrick’s School, Dickinson;
Cathedral Grade School, Bismarck, and St. Lawrence School,
Flasher. She served as principal of St. Michael School,
Canon City, Colo., Cathedral Grade School and as assistant
superintendent and principal of the elementary schools in
the Trinity School System in Dickinson.
After
retiring from teaching, Sister Bernadette worked at St.
Alexius Medical Center where she clerked in the emergency
room, took care of the Lifeline program, the infant car seat
program and established the medical library. In the library
she helped medical personnel and students with simple,
hands-on research projects. Sister Bernadette found these
experiences challenging and revitalizing. People who worked
with her appreciated her excellent organizational skills.
Sister
Bernadette also served as the secretary for the monastic
community, as a switchboard operator and enjoyed five years
at St. Alexius Convent doing meal preparation.
Her
hobbies included embroidery, reading, writing letters
working crossword and jigsaw puzzles and collecting
cancelled stamps to help missionary activities.
Sister
Bernadette was a friend to many and a faithful monastic
community member. She rarely missed community prayer or a
community event despite being in ill health. She had a
grateful, generous and optimistic spirit, always willing to
help wherever she could. Deeply devoted to God and to
others, she will be missed by those whose lives she touched.
She is
survived by her brothers, Father Martin, Billings, Mont.,
Deacon Donald, Tucson, Ariz., nieces, nephews, many dear and
loving friends and the Sisters of Annunciation Monastery.
Memorials
may be made to Annunciation Monastery.
To share
memories of Sister Bernadette, please visit
www.parkwayfuneral.com and sign the online guest book.
(Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck)
Wishing you a blessed
Christmas and New Year!
"Today True Peace has come down
from Heaven."
The Virgin Mary and Baby Jesus card
design is based on an original 1954 design by
Sister Michael Kaliher, OSB, of Annunciation Monastery.
Sister Michael resides at Annunciation Monastery where many
of her beautiful paintings and other art is displayed.
* * * * *
Sister Kathleen to Begin New Ministry
Sister Kathleen Atkinson accepts new ministry as Director
for Community and Government Advocacy with the GOD'S CHILD
Project's Institute for Trafficked, Exploited & Missing
Persons
(Lt. to Rt.) Ernesto Atkinson, Patrick
Atkinson, founder and international director of the GOD'S
CHILD Project, and Sister Kathleen Atkinson at the November
GOD'S CHILD Project "Breaking the Chains" fundraising
luncheon.
The GOD'S CHILD Project's "Institute for Trafficked,
Exploited & Missing Persons" is the Project's primary tool
for preventing, detecting, confronting and intervening in
situations of contemporary Human Trafficking.
Sister Kathleen will orchestrate the Institute's community
and government networking and legal efforts throughout the
world and particularly in areas of the Project's
geopolitical influence. She will establish community and
campus-based action group networks and develop preventative
and interventive awareness efforts. She will also work to
develop an international volunteer base.
Beginning January 2010, Sister Kathleen will take part in a
field experience in Guatemala during which she will be
immersed in the culture of Guatemala and research issues of
human trafficking and exploitation and the factors that
drive these atrocities.
Please keep Sister Kathleen, and all who do wondrous works
with the GOD'S CHILD Project, in your prayers!
For more information, please contact Sister Kathleen at
701.471.0151 or email:
kathleen@annunciationmonastery.org
* * * * *
|
