National Catholic Sisters Week ~ A Sparkling Diamond

Greetings from a 70-year Jubilarian,

Each day of National Catholic Sisters Week, we will be sharing the story of one of our Jubilarian Sisters, those celebrating significant anniversaries in religious life!

Sister Corinne was born October 1, 1924, the oldest of twelve children in South Dakota. She
attended Saints Peter and Paul parochial school, and was greatly influenced by sisters who taught her. She spent two years at home helping her parents on the farm after graduating from the eighth grade. She entered Sacred Heart Monastery in 1940 and went to Mount Marty High School for two years before becoming a novice and received the name Corinne. She made first profession on June 24, 1943 and final profession on June 24, 1946. She completed her GED in 1969.

Sr. Corinne ministered for twenty-six years to the Native American people in South Dakota. Her years at the mission were special to her because of the home-like atmosphere there. She always had a heart for the Native American people. She also worked with the boarders at St. Mary’s School and later, she taught religion and worked in the school library in Nebraska. She also worked throughout South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. After receiving pastoral care training in Mitchell, South Dakota, she did hospital and nursing home visitation until her retirement. This work was a great joy to her as she is a “people person” and was able to serve and connect to people in her “home territory”. Now retired in St. Joseph Care Center at Sacred Heart Monastery, Sr. Corinne still enjoys friendly banter and visits from family and friends

 Blessings...and join us tomorrow for our star-bright diamond~

National Catholic Sisters Week ~ Another Shining Diamond

Greetings from a 70-year Jubilarian,

Each day of National Catholic Sisters Week, we will be sharing the story of one of our Jubilarian Sisters, those celebrating significant anniversaries in religious life!

Sister Grace grew up on a farm in northeast Nebraska, the sixteenth of seventeen children. She attended public, but looked forward to the Sisters coming for 2 weeks of religious education in the summer. Their kindness and happiness planted the seeds of a vocation in Grace. At the age of 14, she packed her bags to go to Milwaukee with her two Franciscan cousins, but after visiting with Sr. Seraphine and her pastor, she decided to try Yankton. She attended high school at Mount Marty Academy as an Aspirant and Postulant, and, after her novitiate, made First Monastic Profession in 1943. Among her memories is the day that she was happy to be assigned to work in the “candy” kitchen, only to find out it was the “canning” kitchen.

 S. Grace taught primary grades for 33 years. She ministered in the Catholic schools in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Her Bachelor of Arts degree was finally earned in 1963 after going to summer school for many years in between teaching assignments. After leaving teaching due to health issues, Sr. Grace embarked on another 30 plus year ministry at Avera Sacred Heart Hospital.

Now retired at the monastery, she is busy keeping track of her large family with over hundreds of grand nieces and nephews, and even more ”greats” and “great-grands”. She looks back with gratitude that God called her to this Benedictine way of life and for persevering in it. “I am especially grateful for the many opportunities I have for attending the Eucharist, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, and recreating with my sisters.”

Blessings...and come back tomorrow for another sparkling diamond!

National Catholic Sisters Week ~ One Diamond of a Story!

Greetings from a 60-year Jubilarian,

Each day of National Catholic Sisters Week, we will be sharing the story of one of our Jubilarian Sisters, those celebrating significant anniversaries in religious life!

One of eleven children, S. Delores was born and raised in rural Nebraska, where she attended “country school” for 8 years. Her mother wanted to give her the opportunity for Catholic education, so she and a sister boarded at Holy Trinity High School. There she met the Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery. When her sister graduated from high school, her principal, S. Beata, invited Delores to join the monastery and finish high school at Mount Marty Academy. With her parents’ approval, Delores finished high school as a postulant, did her novitiate and made first profession in 1953 and final profession on June 29th, 1958.

After a year of college, she began her teaching career in North Dakota, with 50 first graders. One of her humorous memories was when a little guy climbed up the slide, and then was too scared to come down. So S. Delores, in full habit, had to go up the ladder and slide down with the little guy on her lap. She went on to teach for a total of 32 years in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Following these years of teaching, she worked in food service and housekeeping in nursing facilities in Lincoln.

Since 2004 S. Delores has been a sacristan back at Sacred Heart Monastery. Between those duties she enjoys keeping in touch with family and friends on Facebook and e-mail. Looking back with satisfaction on these years, S. Delores says that she has learned much from living with my Benedictine Community. “Someone is always there for me.”

Blessings...and come back tomorrow for another shining Diamond!

We're All Student Sisters

Greetings,
Our sisters' work in Catholic education began in Switzerland with our founding monastery!  The Benedictine Sisters at Maria Rickenbach built their convent on the musenalp mountainside, and in 1864 began a school for girls with the condition to exempt ten places for children in need, even the children of Niederrickenbach (the village below) were taught there.

One of our first works as a new community in America was also education.  Early sisters responded to the call of God and Bishop Martin Marty to teach on the Fort Yates Standing Rock Indian Reservation.  The Swiss sisters from the Alps arrived on those windswept plains as early as the late 1870's to begin this missionary work in the Dakota Territory.


These pictures are now preserved through the State Historical Society of North Dakota
as a part of the Frank B. Fiske Photograph Collection1952. 
Sewing Room Credit:  http://digitalhorizonsonline.org/u?/uw-ndshs,249

Today, we continue to serve as teachers, professors, principals, and tutors on many levels in Catholic schools and colleges.  Our educational outreach has always stretched across the barriers of distance, language, and culture to support those seeking to learn.  In 1962 the sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery began a new way of supporting education; we invited student sisters from religious communities across the ocean to learn with us.

The first sisters came from South Korea, the Olivetan Benedictine Sisters.  Later the Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Benedictine Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians were joining us from Tanzania, the Daughters of Mary came from Uganda, and the Missionary Benedictine Sisters joined us from throughout their international order.  During the past 50 years, approximately 30 sisters have shared our Benedictine life while attending Mount Marty and nearby colleges.  Their degrees and interests have been varied:  music, nursing, sociology, education, philosophy, and much more.  Each sister seeking to improve not only her own life, but also the ministry and service of her community and native country.



Since beginning this educational ministry, sisters from the monastery have begun to reach out internationally as well.  The prioresses occasionally travel to our Olivetan Benedictine sisters and their Korean community.  Our procurator met with the Benedictine sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians in Tanzania to learn of new ways we could collaborate with their growing community.  Others of our sisters have joined the Alliance for International Monasticism in teaching throughout women's religious communities in Africa.

This sacred time of living in community has been more than offering an opportunity for the student sisters, we've become students and learned much through their generous sharing of traditions.  The Holy Spirit sisters from Tanzania celebrated music and dance with the sisters.  We laughed and danced, but never quite found the rhythm that naturally flowed through their spirit.  Our Olivetan Benedictine sisters have been sharing their traditional Korean foods for years, but it is their exquisite artistry and music that have become the treasured treat.  The stories of their faith and vocation have enriched our own faith and challenged us to keep growing in our Benedictine call to seek God in all things. 

Blessings,