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Archived Monastery
Happenings
January 2010
Reflection for wake service of
Sister
Florence Marquart
“There is one thing I ask of the Lord
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to savor the sweetness of the Lord, to behold his temple.”
This
prayer of longing to live in God’s house comes from Psalm
27, the responsorial psalm sung by the choir today.
Could
anything be more fitting to pray at the funeral of someone
who cared for the Lord’s house on this earth? Sister
Florence was a devoted sacristan. She took care of the
sacred vessels of the church and prepared the altar for the
Eucharist for more than 30 years. To Sister Florence it was
a special and holy ministry, one she enjoyed.
Anyone
who has ever worked at getting a church ready for a major
liturgical celebration will understand all the details
involved in planning for a festive worship ceremony. Sister
Florence did it with meticulous care for many of our
community liturgies. She said her greatest honor and
challenge was to prepare Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel
for the elaborate consecration ceremony in 1963.
But
Sister Florence had a deeper desire than preparing chapels
for worship. She longed to live in the house of the Lord
forever in the heavenly kingdom.
She
journeyed through life allowing God to mold her inner self
to reach that final goal. It wasn’t always easy but she
remained faithful to following God’s will.
Through
the grace of baptism, Sister Florence became a child of
God. She was endowed with a faith that grew stronger and
deeper as the years went by. No matter what the
circumstances in her life, she relied on God, her monastic
community and her family for support.
Sister
Florence felt a special love for her family. She would often
tell stories about brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews
with such joy and affection. These connections do not end
with her death. They still run deep, giving Sister
Florence’s family and all of us someone to pray to and for.
The
readings for this funeral liturgy are filled with hope that
God is granting Sister Florence’s wish to live in God’s
house forever. The reading from the book of Wisdom tells us
that the souls of the just are in the hand of God and are at
peace. And the faithful shall abide with God in love. We
believe that Sister Florence, faithful to her baptismal and
monastic commitments, is now at peace with God. She, who
struggled with ill health for many years, is at last freed
from her sufferings and no torment shall ever touch her
again.
Hope also
abounds in the Gospel of John. Jesus says everyone who
believes in him will have eternal life and be raised up on
the last day. Just think of that wondrous message: All
believers will live forever. We can’t even imagine what it
will be like – to dwell always with a loving God in a life
that has no pain and no suffering. Sister Florence has
longed for this and we believe she has been granted her
heart’s desire. In your strength O Lord Sister Florence has
found joy and in your salvation she rejoices exceedingly.
~ Sister Nancy Miller,
Prioress (January 18, 2010)
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In Loving Memory of
Sister Florence Marquart,
OSB
Sister
Florence Marquart, 87, a founder of the Benedictine Sisters
of Annunciation Monastery, Bismarck, entered eternal life
Thursday January 14, 2010, at a Bismarck care center.
The
Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 4 p.m. Tuesday in
the Chapel of Annunciation Monastery. A wake service will be
held at 7 p.m. Monday at the monastery. Visitation begins
today at 3 p.m. at the monastery and continues until the
time of the funeral.
Florence was born on August 6, 1922, to Gabriel Adam and
Margaret (Mosset) Marquart in Dodge, N.D. She was the
second of seven children. The family farmed near Dodge and
later near Halliday, N.D.
At age
7, Florence wanted to be a sister and that desire became
stronger as she got older. When she was 18, she entered St.
Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, Minn. and made monastic
profession July 11, 1942. In 1944, Sister Florence was
among the pioneering sisters who volunteered to found
Annunciation Monastery.
Throughout her life, Sister Florence served in a variety of
ministries including occupational therapy, central supply in
hospitals and switchboard operator, but her favorite was
church work. She spent 33 years caring for the sacred
vessels and vestments of the church and setting up for
church services. She served as sacristan at St. Alexius
Medical Center, Garrison Memorial Hospital and the
monastery. Her greatest honor was preparing Our Lady of the
Annunciation Chapel for the elaborate consecration ceremony
in 1963.
“I like
to do nice things for the Lord,” she once said of her chapel
work. “I always felt it was special.”
Sister
Florence thought highly of her monastic community and
appreciated prayer and the common life. She also felt
especially close to her family. She enjoyed being with them
and loved to tell stories about her nieces and nephews who
had a special place in her heart.
A
gifted seamstress, Sister Florence also enjoyed reading and
creating crafts. She will be especially remembered for her
gentle smile, deep faith in God and her reverent care of
places of worship.
Sister
Florence is survived by a sister, Ann (Gerald) Bogers,
Halliday; three sisters-in law, Gertrude Marquart,
Dickinson; Lea Marquart, Great Falls, Mont.; Anabel Marquart,
Renton, Wash., many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of
Annunciation Monastery.
Memorials may be made to Annunciation Monastery.
To
share memories of Sister Florence, please visit
www.parkwayfuneral.com and sign the online guest book
(Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck).
* * * * *
Come in from the cold!
Warm up with Benedictine Hospitality!
Vocation "Come and See"
Live-In Retreat
January 23 - 24, 2010
Start the New Year right
with this unique vocation opportunity to reflect on God's
call for your life. Perhaps you are being called to
become a Sister of Annunciation Monastery! Join our sisters
for prayer, conversation, laughs recreation and reflection
in a safe and supportive environment. A private room
and meals will be provided. Learn about monastic
community life while learning about God's call for you!
There is no charge to attend. Preregistration is
required. For more information, contact Sister Gerard
at (701)355-8909 or email:
vocations@annunciationmonastery.org
* * * * *
"Frostscapes"
from the morning of January 11, 2010
A cross of sunlight shone through the Bell Banner of
Annunciation Monastery onto
the Benedictine Center for Servant Leadership
* * * * *
Sister
Nancy Gunderson's Art Featured at Exhibition:
ANIMALS -- THEM AND US
Bismarck Art & Galleries Association (BAGA)
January
5 - 30, 2010
Sister Nancy
Gunderson is pictured (far right) as she explains her work
at BAGA's gallery chat at the opening reception of the art
exhibition "ANIMALS -- THEM AND US" on Jan. 5.
The
exhibition, "Animals -- Them and Us," is on loan at Bismarck
Arts and Galleries Association from the North Dakota Museum
of Art and toured through the Museum's Rural Arts
Initiative. Exhibiting is Sister Nancy Gunderson, a self-taught fiber artist who has displayed in numerous exhibits
and won several awards.
"Both
nature and spirituality have been rich sources of creative
energy for me. I seek to create works with meaning that
invite people to come closer and enter a world I have
opened--to discover its mysteries and intricate beauty. I
combine hand-dyed and commercial fabrics in vibrant colors
to create sensuous surfaces that draw the viewer to feel the
energy radiating in and from my work. Machine applique',
free-motion quilting and embellishments with thread, beads,
buttons, stamped images and paints often make finishing
touches to my work. I like to hang quilts from branches and
tumbleweeds native to the prairie and create pieces
extending the eye beyond their physical boundaries."
~Sister Nancy Gunderson, OSB
These art
pieces were among many of Sister Nancy's works featured in
the exhibition.
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