Yesterday, we celebrated our centenarian, Sister Virginia! A few of her close family, some cake, and the love of her sisters. The following 'story' is from her 80th jubilee...Sr. Virginia is the 3rd of 13 children of her parents, who supported her call to religious life. She attended St. Mary's grade school where she was influenced by the Benedictine sisters and monks. She entered Sacred Heart Monastery on September 2, 1929 at the age of 15. After graduating from Mount Marty High School in 1932 she was invested as a novice. She made first profession on August 16, 1933 and final profession on June 26, 1939.
After a year of teaching and loving 53 first graders, Sr. Virginia was called into the field of nursing. She graduated from Sacred Heart School of Nursing in 1937. She was a nurse from 1937-1978, she then worked in hospital administration in South Dakota, receiving a credential in Health Care Administration from the University of Minnesota in 1972. She received a degree from Mount Marty College and became certified in Pastoral Care in 1979. She then served in Pastoral Care ministry in Colorado from 1979 until her retirement to the monastery in 2001.
Reflecting on her 80th jubilee, Sr. Virginia says, "God's blessings have truly overwhelmed me these 80 years for which I am deeply grateful. Time has passed quickly amidst joys, sorrows, complexities but always accompanied by an awareness of God's abiding peace, grace and assuring love. I am most appreciative that God called me to Sacred Heart Monastery in Yankton to be a member of this Benedictine community."
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