Sister M. Baldegund

Born: August 29, 1934
Entrance: February 1, 1957
Professed: October 28, 1959
Died: August 18, 2026

God, who meant everything to her, answered her prayers and allowed her to come to Him.: Sister M. Baldegund, née Paula Freude, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

My God and my All!

(St. Francis)

Sister M. Baldegund came from a deeply religious German farming family in Saerbeck-Westladbergen. Three of her aunts were religious, two of whom belonged to our Congregation and one of whom belonged to the Schönstadt Sisters. She said that she was deeply impressed by her aunts’ way of life. She always looked forward to visiting days at the convent and to the occasions when her aunts came home to visit.

At the age of 23, Paula Freude entered our Congregation herself and became a nurse. She managed the private wards in both Recklinghausen-Süd and Kirchhellen. From 1980 to 1997, she cared for her fellow Sisters in the former nurses’ ward, Ward 40. She is remembered by many of her colleagues as a calm, very considerate and highly skilled nurse.

From 1997 to 2012, she cared for the dying at the Elisabeth Hospice in Datteln. Afterward, she returned to the motherhouse due to her age and continued to serve willingly. She offered small acts of service to her fellow Sisters and, at first, still took on night shifts caring for the dying Sisters. In February of this year, she herself became a resident of St. Heriburg House and was able to experience the care and attention of the staff and the Sisters.

A few days before her death, she suffered a heart attack from which she was unable to recover. On her deathbed, Sister M. Baldegund expressly gave thanks for all the good she had received in the Congregation, for being able to help many sick people, and also for having been allowed to live in the convent for 69 years. St. Francis shaped her life, and his words, “My God and my All,” were her life’s motto. United with God, she set out on her final journey to be with Him. 

We say a grateful farewell to Sister M. Baldegund. We honor her memory through prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist, and we remain united with her in sisterly love.

On Friday, August 21, 2026, we will bid farewell to Sister M. Baldegund. The Resurrection Mass will be held at 10 a.m. in the Motherhouse Church, after which we will accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery. Afterward, we can share our memories of her over coffee at the Motherhouse.

Sister M. Christhild

Born: July 5, 1936
Entrance: January 30, 1960
Professed: October 28, 1962
Died: August 9, 2026

In the final hours of Sunday, our merciful God called our fellow Sister to Him, Sister M. Christhild, née Juliane Gevers, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Now, Lord, let your servant depart in peace, for my eyes have seen salvation.

(Luke 2:29-30, Nunc Dimittis)

Two months after the death of her biological sister, Sister M. Edelbertis, God also called Sister M. Christhild to Himself.

Born in Vreden-Döhren, Juliane attended school and earned her middle school diploma there. After joining our Congregation, she completed her nursing training and became a medical technical assistant. She worked in the X-ray departments in Gladbeck and Datteln. Sister M. Christhild is best known and most appreciated for her many years of service in the administration of the Motherhouse in Munster, where she supported the entire community. There, she managed our pensions and handled correspondence with the health insurance company with meticulous accuracy.

In 2022, Sister M. Christhild moved to St. Heriburg House Nursing Home, where she was able to enjoy her well-earned retirement years as a senior Sister. Since 2025, she had been a resident of Clara Station, where she felt very much at home. However, a few days ago she suddenly became seriously ill and was admitted to hospital for treatment. On Sunday evening, she passed away peacefully at St Francis Hospital, returning to God to whom she had entrusted her life 64 years ago when she took her vows.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Christhild. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and her sister, Sister M. Edelbertis, remaining united with them both in sisterly love. On Thursday, August 13, 2026, we will bid farewell to Sister M. Christhild at the Resurrection Service at 10 a.m. in the Motherhouse Church and then accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery.

Sister M. Liliane

Born: March 7, 1937
Entrance: August 12, 1960
Professed: May 3, 1963
Died: August 3, 2026

After a long life in which she always experienced God’s help, the good and merciful God called our Sister to Himself: Sister M. Liliane, née Maria Landwehr, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

God, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

(Psalm Ref. 18:20-26)

Maria Landwehr was born the eldest of ten children on a farm in Bergstrup near Vechta. After finishing school, she worked on a farm in Kroge, where she became acquainted with the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, who lived nearby. She joined our Congregation at the age of 23. Her younger sister, Sister M. Leonharda, later joined her, but sadly passed away in 2002.

Sister M. Liliane was a dedicated nurse at hospitals in Münster, Meerbusch-Lank, and Freckenhorst. After serving as a superior in Seppenrade, she undertook home healthcare training at Arenberg, near Koblenz. She then used the skills she had acquired to care for sick in families in Ennigerloh and Marl-Hamm. She also took on pastoral and other duties in these communities. From 2005 to 2014, she worked at Greven Hospital, where she looked after the chapel and provided spiritual support to patients. Following the dissolution of the Greven convent, she devoted herself to caring for her elderly fellow Sisters at Maria Hilf Convent in Telgte. In 2020, she moved back to her hometown of Kroge as a senior Sister. She continued to support her fellow Sisters there until she fell seriously ill a few months ago. She passed away in the nursing unit of the St. Anna-Stift. Just as she had always cared for the sick and dying, her fellow Sisters and loved ones were with her around the clock during her final days.

To describe her life, Sister M. Liliane chose the psalm verse “God, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light“. It sustained her in good times and bad. May she now experience the fullness of God’s greatness!

We bid farewell to Sister M. Liliane with gratitude. We will remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist, and we will remain united with her in sisterly love. We will celebrate the Resurrection Mass for Sister M. Liliane on Friday, August 7, 2026, at 2.30 p.m. in the convent church in Kroge. Afterward, we will accompany her to her final resting place at the Kroge Forest Cemetery.

Sister M. Rainette

Born: February 11, 1936
Entrance: January 28, 1956
Professed: October 28, 1958
Died: July 31, 2026

Our Sister always felt safe and secure in God’s hands. Now she has returned her life into God’s hands: Sister M. Rainette, née Helga Schwager, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

My time is in your hands. Now I can be at peace, at peace in you.

(Hymn, “Gotteslob”)

Sister M. Rainette could look back on 90 years of life. In her memoirs, she tells us: “I was born in Breslau in Silesia (now Poland). Our mother had to flee with us three children. My brother and I contracted typhus at a refugee camp in East Frisia. Later, we moved to Oberhausen-Osterfeld, where I got to know our Congregation at the hospital during a one-year internship. I entered our Congregation at the age of 20. I am grateful to my mother for having so bravely endured the ordeal of fleeing with us three children. I am also grateful that I was able to care for sick children for many years, and then go on to work in geriatric care.”

For Sister M. Reinette, the years she spent caring for sick children in Sendenhorst, Moers, and Osterfeld were formative. She then joined the newly founded convent in Werne and took on pastoral duties at St. Katharina Nursing Home. Later, she moved to Seppenrade, where she continued to perform small tasks and played the organ at St. Josef-Haus. After the convent was dissolved, she returned to the Motherhouse in Münster, where she delighted the Sisters—both there and at St. Heriburg House—with her many talents. She especially enjoyed doing crafts, and took great pleasure in giving away her beautiful Christmas stars and other handmade items.

Six weeks ago, due to illness, Sister M. Rainette herself became a resident of St. Heriburg House , where she prepared herself for God’s coming bravely and with steadfastness. In the presence of her fellow Sisters, she peacefully entrusted her earthly life into God’s hands, just as the hymn describes which she had chosen for her funeral.

We bid Sister M. Rainette a grateful farewell. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain united with her in sisterly love.

On Tuesday, August 4, 2026, we will bid farewell to Sister M. Rainette during the Resurrection Service at 2 p.m. in the Motherhouse Church and accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ cemetery.

Sister M. Benita

Born: September 7, 1960
Entrance: September 10, 1979
Professed: May 4, 1982
Died: July 11, 2026

From our Polish Province, we received the obituary of Sister M. Benita, née Irena Soll, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

I competed well, I finished the race, I kept the faith. Finall, the crown of righteousness is reserved for me, which the Lord will give to me on that day...

(2 Tim 4:7–8a)

Sister M. Benita was born on September 7, 1960, in Koty, Opole County. She entered our Congregation on September 10, 1979. She made her first profession on May 4, 1982, in Ołdrzychowice Kłodzkie.

After her first profession, Sister M. Benita began her studies at the Nursing School, and from 1984 onward, she worked for three years as a nurse at the Infectious Diseases Clinic in Wrocław, in Szczytna, and at the childrens’ home in Rengersdorf. After a brief period of preparation for missionary work, she left for Kazakhstan in the fall of 2009 along with two other Sisters and began her missionary work. She served for nearly eight years at St. Abraham Parish in Shchuchinsk and for the next eight years at Our Lady of Częstochowa Parish in Kamyshenka.

Both in Poland and in Kazakhstan, Sister Benita was devoted to her ministry to the people and children to whom she had been sent. She was creative, kind, deeply committed, always ready to go the extra mile, and attentive to precision in her ministry and work. She faithfully followed the path of her vocation and responded to what God wanted from her. Quietly, with a smile, she willingly served those in need every day. Her missionary work in Kazakhstan brought her great joy and fulfillment. This beautiful time of active apostolic ministry was cut short by illness. Beginning in October 2024, she embarked on a journey of suffering: coping with the new reality of severe physical ailments, disability, and dependence. For a long time, Sister M. Benita communicated with those around her through short messages using a tablet. Toward the end of her life, she could no longer do even that. This was very difficult for her. The Sisters of the Szczepanowice convent, along with the medical staff at the nursing home, cared deeply for Sister M. Benita and supported her on her journey of suffering.           

In the final weeks of her life, Sister M. Benita’s health deteriorated significantly. Yet she was still able to express her gratitude for every act of kindness with a smile. Sister M. Benita peacefully passed away to be with the Lord on Saturday, July 11, 2026. We trust that she is now fully rejoicing in God’s presence and love. Grateful to everyone for every act of kindness, help, and service rendered to her, she commends herself today to our prayers and surely supports us all with her prayers before the Lord.

Sister M. Adelgera

Born: March 18, 1935
Entrance: August 11, 1956
Professed: May 3, 1959
Died: July 8, 2026

With complete trust, our Sister entrusted her earthly life to God and followed Him on the path to the new life, Sister M. Adelgera, née Maria Herzig, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Into your hands I entrust my spirit with complete trust. You have redeemed me, O faithful God.

(Psalm 31:6)

Our Sister, Maria Herzig, was born in Scheibe, in the Glatz region, the daughter of a farmer. In 1946, her family was expelled from Silesia and moved to Ostfriesland, where Maria spent her last years of schooling. She herself said that those years were the hardest of her life. Afterwards, she worked at Borromäus Hospital in Leer, first in the kitchen and later as a nurse, until she responded to God’s call by entering our Congregation. She was deeply grateful to her parents for their loving care and protection during their flight and as they settled into life in Ostfriesland.  

Sister M. Adelgera also found this sense of security in God throughout her entire life; she served Him as a nun for seventy years, beginning in 1956.

Her love for her homeland never faded. She enthusiastically participated in the regular meetings of the Glatz Association in Telgte, where she drew much strength for her faith and her life. Until the very end, she maintained her bonds with the people of Silesia, especially with her fellow Silesian Sisters. A few days before her death, she received a visit from Sister M. Maximiliana, the Polish Provincial Superior, and from Sister M. Alexandra, who were in Münster for the International Archivists’ Conference. During their visit, she inquired about all the Sisters and asked them to convey her special greetings.

Sister M. Adelgera worked for many years in the intensive care unit at St. Bernhard Hospital in Kamp-Lintfort before being transferred to St. Heriburg House in Münster in 1994 to care for her elderly fellow Sisters, and look after the chapel. Now she has been able to return her life into God’s hands.

We bid Sister M. Adelgera a grateful farewell. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist, and remain united with her in sisterly love. On Monday, July 13, 2026, we will bid farewell to Sister M. Adelgera during the Holy Eucharistic celebration at 2p.m. in the Motherhouse Church and then accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery.

Sister M. Margrith

Born: November 27, 1943
Entrance: May 5, 1967
Professed: October 28, 1969
Died: July 1, 2026

After a long illness, God took our Sister by the hand and called her to be with Him in heaven, Sister M. Margrith, née Gerda van Beeck, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

God has written us in His hand, and God’s hands are good hands.

(Cardinal Höffner)

Sister M. Margrith was born in Heessen, which is now part of Hamm, and completed her home economics training with the Sisters of Providence. She joined our community at the age of 24 and completed her paediatric nursing training at St. Franziskus Hospital in Münster.

She then moved to Lichtenvoorde in the Netherlands, where she worked on the paediatric ward. After returning to Germany, she undertook further training in community nursing at Arenberg near Koblenz, subsequently working in outpatient nursing in Friesoythe.

Subsequently, in Borghorst and Dorsten, she undertook housekeeping duties and cared for residential homes. She is particularly well-remembered for her organ and harmonium playing, with which she accompanied church services.

Following the dissolution of the convent in Dorsten, she became a resident of a retirement home. Initially, she lived at St. Heriburg-Haus in Münster, but due to renovations, she relocated to St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde.

Sister M. Margrith returned her life to God late on the evening of the 182 anniversary of the foundation of our Congregation. She was the 7,228th Sister of the German Hospital Sisters of St. Francis and had made her perpetual vows 51 years ago. She now celebrates this feast in heaven with the Sisters who have gone before her.

We bid farewell to Sister M. Margrith with gratitude. Through prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist, we remain united with her in sisterly love. On Tuesday July 7, 2026 at 10 a.m., we will celebrate a Resurrection Mass for her at St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde, after which we will bid her farewell at the parish cemetery, where she will be laid to rest. Afterwards, we can share our memories over coffee at St Franziskus-Haus

Sister M. Gerburgis

Born: March 8, 1940
Entrance: August 12, 1965
Professed: May 3, 1968
Died: June 19, 2026

In the early morning hours, the kind and merciful God called our Sister home to eternity, Sister M. Gerburgis, née Hedwig Ungruh, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

When morning came, Jesus was standing on the shore.

(John 21:4)

Sister M. Gerburgis was born in Hörstel-Ostenwalde and grew up there with her four siblings. At the age of twenty-five, she entered our congregation. She trained as a pediatric nurse and worked on pediatric wards in Ahlen and at St. Franziskus Hospital in Münster. After qualifying as a nursing manager, she headed the ward for school-age children. She always maintained good contact with her former colleagues.

In 1991, she became the convent superior in Gladbeck and also took on pastoral duties at the hospital, for which she had qualified through training in Munich. Later, she moved to the hospital in Leer, and then to Ahaus. After the convent was dissolved, she returned to the Motherhouse, where she served at the reception desk there until her serious illness made that impossible.

From 2001 to 2006, she was a Provincial Councilor and shared responsibility for the German Sisters.

Some time ago, she required dialysis. As her illness progressed, she drew parallels between her own situation and that of her mother, who had also suffered from kidney disease; she therefore knew what lay ahead. She walked her path to the very end with full awareness and self-determination. On her final morning, she stated that she no longer wished to undergo dialysis and wanted to transition to palliative care. That evening, she asked for the Anointing of the Sick, a sacrament she participated in consciously. A few hours later, she passed away peacefully in the presence of the Indian Sisters who served at the Heriburg-Haus. To die so peacefully was the wish she had always expressed.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Gerburgis. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain united with her in sisterly love.

On Tuesday, June 23, 2026, we will celebrate the Resurrection Mass at 2 p.m., in the Motherhouse Church, after which we will accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery. Afterward, we can share our memories of her over coffee at the Motherhouse.

Sister M. Edelbertis

Born: February 22, 1939
Entrance: February 3, 1962
Professed: October 28, 1964
Died: June 13, 2026

Our dear Sister was confident that Jesus is alive. She was also certain that she would live with him. She entrusted her life back into God’s hands, Sister M. Edelbertis, née Ludwine Gevers, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Jesus lives, and so do I!
That is my confidence.

Ludwine Gevers was born the eleventh of thirteen children in Vreden-Dömern, near the Dutch border, into a devout Catholic family. Ludwine received her First Communion in the year that her elder sister, our fellow Sister M. Nicasia, entered our Congregation. In 1960, Sister M. Christhild also entered the Congregation, and Sister Friedburga joined the Sisters of St. Clement. Ludwine was the last to become a religious Sister and was given the name Sister M. Edelbertis.

After completing her nursing training, Sister M. Edelbertis fell seriously ill, an illness that would accompany and shape her life. Her superiors understood her situation and subsequently assigned her to administrative duties, the reception area, and in the desk of patient admissions.

She herself writes: “Through my long periods of absence and health limitations, I have been able to learn what it is like for people during such times of illness or other infirmities when they are received with understanding and kindness, especially in the hospital.”

In her free time, Sister M. Edelbertis enjoyed painting. Her nature paintings hang in the motherhouse, among other places, and delight those who view them. She said: “Even though I don’t see myself as a great artist, I find fulfillment and contentment in this as well.” Her recipe for a happy life was simple: “Keep the faith, don’t lose hope, pray for good health, and be thankful for everything that is experienced so far.”

We bid farewell to Sister M. Edelbert with gratitude. We keep her in our prayers and in our celebrations of the Eucharist, and we remain united with her in sisterly love.

On Wednesday, June 17, we will bid farewell to Sister M. Edelbertis. The Resurrection Mass wil be held at 2pm in the Motherhouse Church, after which we will accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery. Afterward, we can share our memories of her over coffee at the Motherhouse.

Sister M. Norbertis

Born: July 16, 1931
Entrance: August 9, 1952
Professed: May 3, 1955
Died: May 12, 2026

Our Sister has now been allowed to enter the great feast in heaven to praise God and thank Him for his deeds, Sister M. Norbertis, née Katharina Eggenwirth, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Enter the temple gates with song of thanksgiving,/ Enter the festive gates with songs of praise. Praise him, give thanks to him for his deeds.

(Psalm 100:4)

Sister M. Norbertis came to our Franciscan Congregation from Neuenkirchen near Wiedenbrück. After completing her nursing training at St. Franziskus Hospital in Münster, she was assigned to St. Bonifatius Hospital in Leeuwarden, Netherlands. There she became a surgical and anesthesia nurse. She completed her specialized training there in the Dutch language. This language and her love for the Netherlands shaped her well into her old age.

In 1975, she returned to Germany, completed her training in outpatient care at Arenberg, and worked at the social service centers in Dortmund-Aplerbeck and Bösensell. From 2000, she lived at the convent in Stift Tilbeck, but continued to travel to Bösensell, where she took on responsibilities in the parish and in senior care. In 2015, she became a resident of St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde. There, she was lovingly cared for by the lay sisters and staff until she passed away at the end of her long and fulfilling life.

We will remember Sister M. Norbertis’s radiant eyes; her openness to what was happening in the community, the Church, and politics; and her contentment. Most of all, we will remember the gratitude she expressed time and again.

We bid farewell to Sister M. Norbert with gratitude. We are united with her in sisterly love, both in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 10.00 a.m., we will celebrate the Resurrection Mass for Sister M. Norbertis at St. Francis House in Nordwalde and then bid her farewell at the parish cemetery, where she will find her final resting place. Afterward, we can share our memories over coffee at St. Franziskus-Haus.

Sister M. Casildis

Born: February 3, 1933
Entrance: March 4, 1967
Professed: October 28, 1969
Died: April 21, 2026

On April 21, 2026, at the age of 93, the Lord called to Himself our dear Sister M. Casildis, née Marta Kokot, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, with songs of praise into His courts!
Give thanks to him, praise his name.

(Psalm 100:4)

Sister M. Casildis was born on February 3, 1933, in Chróścice near Opole. She entered our Congregation on March 4, 1967. She made her First Profession on October 28, 1969.

Sister M. Casildis began her service in our Congregation already during her postulancy at the children’s home in Rückers (Glatz County). After her first profession, she worked primarily as a cook, and at the same time attended culinary school in Wrocław, where she earned a Masters Diploma in 1975. From then on, cooking became her passion and a means of bringing love to those to whom she was sent. The convent in Glatz-Scheibe was her final assignment. Here she cooked and prepared meals for the Sisters as long as her health permitted.

From these years of her faithful service to God, we remember Sister M. Casildis as a caring person who was devoted to those she served. She loved to joke and tell various stories from her life, which often brightened our Sisters’ gatherings. She also often spoke of her family, with whom she maintained close contact and who supported her with their love, their presence, and their prayers.

Sister M. Casildis was a great devotee of St. Anthony and St. Martha, her patron saint, whose spirit of service she embodied as a cook. In this way, she combined the attitudes of the Gospel figures Martha and Mary in her life by offering her work and her prayers to God.

In 2024, she moved to the convent of the Sisters in Groß Döbern, where the Sisters lovingly cared for her. She never parted with her rosary, for as she herself said, “it is my weapon.”

After the trials of earthly life, she was called by name and went to meet the Lord. We trust that she rejoices in His presence.

The funeral service will take place on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 11 a.m. at St. Roch’s Church in Dobrzeń Wielki. The Rosary will be prayed at 10.30 a.m.

Sister M. Josefa

Born: March 13, 1938
Entrance: February 4, 1961
Professed: October 28, 1963
Died: April 25, 2026

St. Joseph, patron of the dying, accompanied our Sister on her journey to her eternal home, Sister M. Josefa, née Josefa von Wulfen, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

St. Joseph, we honor you, for God chose you to be the foster father of His Son.

(Prayer from the monastic tradition)

Sister M. Josefa came from Hollenstede in the Bersenbrück district to join our congregation. She grew up there on a farm with her siblings. Two of her siblings died in childhood, and her mother died suddenly of heart failure shortly before she entered the Congregation. Temporarily, Josefa had to take over the household. At the age of 23, she was able to enter our Congregation. She received the religious name Sister M. Ascelina at her investiture, which she later exchanged for her baptismal name, Josefa.

Sister M. Josefa trained as a nurse and housekeeper, working in several hospitals and the congregation’s own facilities. In 1998, she completed a course in pastoral care for the sick and elderly. This enabled her to expand her nursing ministry to incorporate the pastoral element.

As she herself said, Sister M. Josefa spent her happiest years, from 2007 onwards, in Lingen-Biene where she took on domestic duties in a small convent. The Sisters had grown close, forming a kind of small family unit. When the convent had to be dissolved in 2022, they returned to Münster together and moved into St. Heriburg House. Sister M. Josefa also had a good relationship with her family and always looked forward to their visits. Sister M. Josefa’s great passion was music. She played the trumpet, sang in the choir and led Breviary prayers, using her beautiful singing voice.

We bid Sister M. Josefa a grateful farewell. Like her mother, she, too, died suddenly of a heart disease. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain united with her in sisterly love.

Our special sympathy goes out to her family and to the surviving Sisters of the former convent in Lingen-Biene, Sister Angela Maria and Sister M. Emilianis. Sister M. Ancilla will be waiting for her in heaven.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2026, we will bid farewell to Sister M. Josefa at the Resurrection Mass at 2 p.m. in the Motherhouse Church and then accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery. Afterward, we can share our memories of her over coffee at the Motherhouse.

Sister M. Josefa

Born: March 1, 1943
Entrance: August 10, 1966
Professed: May 1, 1969
Died: April 13, 2026

Accompanied by her patron saint, Saint Joseph, our Sister journeyed to heavenly paradise in the presence of her fellow Sisters and family members, Sister M. Josefa, née Josefa Maria Thelink, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Saint Joseph, Patron saint of workers and of the dying, pray for us.

Josepha Theling was born in Schapen in the Emsland region, one of nine siblings. She grew up on her parents’ farm. One of her sisters became a Dominican nun. At the age of 23, Josefa joined our congregation. Her religious name was initially Sister M. Thekleta. Later, she resumed her baptismal name, Josefa. Saint Joseph was her faithful companion. He was close to her during her nursing training in Stadtlohn and afterward in Ramsdorf and Lohne.

Since 1977, Sister M. Josefa served as house mother to the Sisters in Seppenrade and at the Motherhouse. She was a quiet worker, just as we have learned from the tradition of Saint Joseph. She enjoyed collecting various texts that we could recite on holidays for everyone’s enjoyment. Unfortunately, due to her increasing hearing loss, she was often unable to participate in community life. This was not easy for her.

Maintaining a good relationship with her family was very important to her. She took interest in their lives and accompanied them all with her prayers.

Sister M. Josefa was delighted that the new Bishop of Münster, Heiner Wilmer, came from her hometown, Schapen. She followed his career with great pride, from his entry into the religious order to his appointment as chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference. Unfortunately, she is no longer able to attend his inauguration in Münster.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Josefa. We remember her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in sisterly love.

On Monday, April 20, 2026, we will bid farewell to Sister M. Josefa at the Resurrection Mass at 2 p.m. in the Motherhouse Church and then accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery. Afterward, we can share our memories of her over coffee at the Motherhouse.

Sister M. Hildburg

Born: June 13, 1934
Entrance: April 13, 1957
Professed: October 28, 1959
Died: March 6, 2026

After a long illness, yet unexpectedly, the God of life called to Himself our dear Sister M. Hildburg, née Gertrud Landwehr, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“Sing to the Lord, all the peoples of the earth,
Day after day proclaim His Glory.”

(GL Hymn No. 809)

Gertrud Landwehr came from Herzebrock in the Diocese of Paderborn to join our congregation in Münster. Her connection to her home diocese and the episcopal city of Paderborn, with its annual Libori Festival, remained vibrant throughout her life. She regularly read DOM (“Cathedral”), the Paderborn church newspaper.

During her investiture, the young woman received the name Sister M. Hildburg. Like all the Sisters, she completed her nursing training and worked in this profession until 1993 in Neuenkirchen near Rheine, in Löningen, and in Bremen. Sister M. Hildburg also possessed many other skills, which she contributed in Telgte and at the Motherhouse in Münster.

She was a very skilled and meticulous seamstress, sewing for the Sisters with great ingenuity and precision. She made the first face masks for the Motherhouse at the beginning of the Covid pandemic before we received the standardized masks. For many years, Sister M. Hildburg’s beautiful and clear voice led the liturgy in the convents, especially the Liturgy of the Hours, thus “proclaiming God’s glory day after day,” as the hymn says. As a painter of nature scenes, she was a true artist. Her paintings were often framed and displayed. Sister M. Hildburg had learned the old German handwriting script Sütterlin in school. Therefore, she was always in high demand when it came to deciphering old letters and transcribing them into standard German. She also processed many old documents for our archive, making them accessible to us today. In this way, Sister M. Hildburg will continue to live on among us.

She had been a resident of St. Francis House in Nordwalde since 2023, where she was lovingly cared for and returned her long life to God.  We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Hildburg. We remain united to her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, at 10.00 a.m., we will celebrate the Resurrection Mass for Sister M. Hildburg at St. Francis House in Nordwalde and then bid her farewell at the parish cemetery, where she will be laid to rest. Afterwards, we can share our memories over coffee at St. Francis House.

Sister M. Doloris

Born: August 31, 1930
Entrance: January 28, 1955
Professed: October 28, 1957
Died: March 5, 2026

For 95 years she praised God and served Him with great joy. Then the Lord of Heaven called to Himself our dear Sister M. Doloris, née Maria Jaske, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“Praise and bless my Lord, and give Him thanks, and serve Him with great humility.”

(The Canticle of the Sun)

Maria Jaske came to the Motherhouse in Münster from Brögbern, near Lingen. She followed her older sister, Sister M. Angelista, into the convent and took the religious name Sister M. Doloris.

After passing her nursing exam in 1958, she worked at the former Waldniel hospital for several years. Many of us know her as the ward nurse on the surgical ward for our Sisters. From 1973 to 1997, she cared for and lovingly looked after many of her fellow Sisters there, as well as introducing novices and young Sisters to the beautiful profession of nursing. She then moved to St. Anna-Stift in Kroge, where she cared for elderly Sisters and accompanied many of them until their death. She dedicated almost her entire religious life to serving her fellow Sisters who were ill and in need of care. She deserves our great thanks and respect for this.

Sister M. Doloris was a down-to-earth and pragmatic Sister for whom no task was too great and no distance too far when it came to caring for her fellow Sisters.

In recent years, as her strength got weaker, the sisters and staff at Kroge cared for her just as lovingly as she had cared for her fellow Sisters in the past. So now, in the presence of her fellow sisters, she was able to give her long life back to God.

We thankfully bid farewell to Sister M. Doloris. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her with gratitude and remain sisterly connected to her.

On Monday, March 9, 2026, we will celebrate the Resurrection Mass for Sister M. Doloris at 2.30 p.m. in the convent church in Kroge. Afterwards, we will accompany her to her final resting place at the Kroger forest cemetery.

Sister M. Isfrieda

Born: June 19, 1930
Entrance: January 27, 1951
Professed: October 28, 1953
Died: February 20, 2026

After a long and fulfilling life, the good and merciful God called our fellow sister to Himself, Sister M. Isfrieda, née Frieda Keuter, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“Now, Lord, you have kept your promise; and you may let your servant go in peace. With my own eyes I have seen your  salvation.”

(Lk. 2, 29-30)

The Gospel of John reports: “When morning came, Jesus stood on the shore.” There he also welcomed our fellow Sister from St. Francis House, Nordwalde and took her with Him to heaven. Since 2014, she had been living as a senior citizen there. She quietly went her way, even though breathing became increasingly difficult and the path became more arduous. Until a week ago, she was still able to go to the chapel and participate in meals in the refectory.

Sister M. Isfrieda joined our Congregation from Lingen. She became a nurse and worked in nursing in Friesoythe, Bottrop, and Hückeswagen. After that, she was responsible at the reception at Gelsenkirchen-Horst, in Damme and Vreden, where she welcomed guests and visitors. In Wilhelmshaven, she looked after the library and took over the ministry until the convent was dissolved.

We knew Sister M. Isfrieda as a modest, lovable, and unassuming fellow Sister who faithfully followed her path as a great woman of prayer. Until the end, she had a good relationship with her family, who were always present in her thoughts.

We bid farewell to Sister M. Isfrieda with gratitude. We remain united with her in sisterly love through prayer and the celebration of the Eucharist.

We will celebrate the Resurrection Mass for Sister M. Isfrieda on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 10 a.m., at St. Francis House in Nordwalde, followed by her burial at the Sisters’ cemetery, where she will find her final resting place.

Sister M. Seraphinis

Born: August 24, 1940
Entrance: February 4, 1961
Professed: October 28, 1963
Died: February 19, 2026

Suddenly and unexpectedly for all of us, , God the Lord, in whose service she had devoted her life 63 years ago, called our fellow Sister to Himself, Sister M. Seraphinis, née Anna Offterheide, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“My God and my all.”

(Psalm 31:17)

Sister M. Seraphinis was born in Kirchhellen in Germany, where she got to know our Congregation. After completing her general education and the home economics school, the young Anna worked with our Sisters at the local hospital until she entered the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis in our Motherhouse in Münster.

Like all Sisters, Sister M. Seraphinis completed her nursing training. Later she took a one-year Hospital administration course at Cologne-Hohenlind. From 1966 to 1977, she worked as a nurse at St. Francis Hospital in Münster as well as in our hospitals in Cloppenburg, and in Lingen. Sister M. Seraphinis was then appointed Head of Nursing at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bremen, and later became convent superior as well.   She was also able to contribute her great professional expertise and experience to the former supervisory board of our Congregation’s Hospitals in Germany from 1998 to 2004. Her openness, her positive approach to all people, and her straightforward attitude, which grew out of her Christian faith, shaped her ministry as a Franciscan.

In 2008, Sister M. Seraphinis was once again given an important task in the Province. She was appointed the superior at St. Anna-Stift in Lohne-Kroge, a residence for our elderly Sisters. She held this position until her death, lovingly caring for our elderly and infirm Sisters. During this time, St. Anna Stift was transferred to the Zerhusen, Blömer, and Bertels families. She actively participated in this major restructuring and always supported it.

Sister M. Seraphinis’ motto was: “Give the house a soul and the soul a house.” Many people experienced this positively, and so she will remain in our fond memories. We bid her farewell with gratitude.

We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in our fellowship. We will celebrate the Resurrection Mass for Sister M. Seraphinis on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 2 p.m. in the Motherhouse Church in Münster. Afterwards, we will accompany her to her final resting place in the sisters’ cemetery.”

Sister Pacis Bao, OSF

Born: April 8, 1921
Entry: September 8, 1944
Professed: September 24, 1947
Died: January 21, 2026

Our fellow Sister in the U.S. Canonical House, Sister Pacis Bao, OSF, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, was called home to the Lord, our God.

For I know well the plans I have in mind for you.

(Jeremiah 29:11)

Our Sister Pacis Bao, OSF (104), the last of the 35 Chinese Sisters and the 26 American missionaries who served in China, passed from this life on Wednesday, January 21 , 2026, at 6:25 a.m. at HSHS St. John’s Hospital.

While her early years were marked by loss, yet she chose to trust in God when the world had given her every reason to tum away. When faced with other disappointments, she persevered. God became her refuge and strength. Fittingly, her name was Latin for “peace,” given to her on October 17, 1945, at the time when the Double Tenth Agreement was signed in China. Peace was more than her name. Her peace was forged in sorrow and sustained by faith, and while her nursing hands healed bodies, her presence healed hearts.

Her most extraordinary testimony came in her ability to forglve. In 2000, through grace and prayer, she forgave those who had commited the unforgivable against her family. Her forgiveness stood as a testament—pmof that love can overcome hatred. She showed us that holiness lives quietly, expressed in endurance. She was a witness who brought forth miracles through her devotion to the Blessed Virgin Maty.

Sister Pacis, the fomer Catherine (Bao Yuan Ying), was bom In Fei Cheng Bao-kiatang-tze, Shan-Tung, China, on April 8, 1921 , the daughter of Bao Tsing Ben and Bao Chang Shih. In the following years, her parents moved her farther from their home to protect her. In 1932, she was enrolled in a school in Jinan, China, and Sister Clementia Dasenbrock, Superior of St. Joseph’s Hospital, Jinan, visited to discuss religious life and the hospital. Six years later, Peter, one of Sister Pacis’ brothers, took her to meet his friends at St. Joseph’s Hospital, where Sisters Clementia and Elise Waletzko welcomed her. Sister Pacis continued her education while living and working at St. Joseph’s Hospital, and the Spirit led her to a vocation. On September 8, 1944, she entered the House community and professed her first vows on September 24, 1947. On May 12, 1948, she and several other Hospital Sisters serving in Jinan sailed on the SS General Meigs to San Francisco, CA, and they arrived in Springfield on June 5, 1948. She continued her formation and education and was a 1963 graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing with service at St. John’s Hospital and St. Vincent Hospital. On August 8, 1968, she and four other Chinese Sisters began caring for the sick at the Star of the Sea Clinic, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Sister Pacis served there until August 2002, at which time she returned to Springfield.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two sisters and four brothers and their families. She is survived by two great nephews and their families in China. The Visitation will be held at St. Francis Convent from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, January 22, 2026, with a Wake Service at 6 p.m. The Eucharistic Celebration and Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Joseph Jiang, a relative of Sister Peter Damian Chiang, OSF, on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel with burial in Crucifixion Hill Cemetery at St. Francis Convent.

Sister Sherrey Murphy, OSF

Born: June 15, 1942
Entry: September 5, 1965
Professed: August 22, 1968
Died: January 8, 2026

Our fellow Sister in the U.S. Canonical House, Sister Sherrey Murphy, OSF, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, was called home to the Lord, our God.

Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you for wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

(Ruth 1:18)

Our Sister Sherrey Murphy was called home to God unexpectedly at 8:20 am on Thursday, January 8, 2026, with several Sisters and employees at her side.

This daughter of 100 percent lrish heritage was a Sister of faith, compassion, courage, and a sense of humor who lived her life rooted in service, humility, and love. This girl from South Dakota became a world traveler from 1994 to 2018 in her service to the Sisters of your international congregation. Wherever she went, she embodied the Franciscan spirit – listening deeply, leading gently, and advocating tirelessly with an unshakeable trust in God’s providence. Sister Sherrey’s life was a testament to the blessing of a vocation lived fully. She mentored countless Sisters and strengthened ministries in Germany, Poland, the USA, Japan, and lndia. Her global vision never outshone her personal kindness; she remained attentive to each Sister, believing that everyone she encountered was a gift.

As a nurse, leader, General Councilor, and 10th General Superior, she was grounded in prayer, guided by discernment, and marked by humility. She led not for her own honor, but in obedience to the call of the Church and for the good of the congregation. She formed and encouraged generations of Sisters, reminding them that religious life is first and always a response to God’s love.

Sister Sherrey (age 83) was born in Mitchell, SD, on June 15, 1942, the daughter of Francis A. and Eileen A. (Dunn) Murphy. She entered the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis on September 5, 1965, and professed her first vows on August 22, 1968.

Sister Sherrey’s religious life encompassed a variety of ministries. Most notably, she served the international congregation of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis in Muenster, Germany, as the General Superior from 2006-18 and as a General Councilor from 1994-2006. Before this, she held responsibilities in administration, vocations, and formation at St. Francis Convent, along with nursing and administration responsibilities at St. Vincent Hospital (Green Bay, WI), St. John’s Hospital (Springfield, IL), and St. Mary’s Hospital (Decatur, IL).

Sister Sherrey was a 1963 graduate of St. Joseph Mercy School of Nursing, Sioux City, IA. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marillac College in 1970 and a master’s degree in administration from the University of Notre Dame In 1988.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, James Murphy. She is survived by her sisters, Colleen Moerke and Peggy Fischer; her brothers, Patrick, Michael, and Daniel; several nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and great­nephews.

The Visitation will be held at St. Francis Convent from 4-7 p.m. on Sunday, January 11, 2026, with a Wake Service at 6 p.m. The Eucharistic Celebration and Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Richard Chiola on Monday, January 12, 2026, in the St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel with burial in Crucifixion Hill Cemetery at St. Francis Convent. Butler Funeral Home will oversee arrangements. Sister Sherrey’s life continues in the eternal embrace of the God she served so faithfully. May she rest in peace, may her example continue to guide and inspire all of us who follow the Franciscan path of service, compassion, and love, and may her lrish eyes always smile upon us.

Sister Josefa Maria

Born: June 8, 1934
Entrance: January 30, 1959
Professed: October 28, 1961
Died: January 4, 2026

Saint Joseph, her patron saint and the patron saint of the dying, accompanied our Sister on her journey to her eternal home in heaven, Sistesr Josefa Maria, née Josefa Meyer, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Saint Joseph, we praise you, for God has chosen you to be the foster father of his son.

(Prayer from the monastic tradition)

Sister Josefa Maria, who received the name Sister Dalmatia at her investiture, later changed it and resumed her baptismal name. Saint Joseph accompanied her throughout her life. She gladly entrusted herself to him and prayed to him.

Sister Josefa Maria was born in Emstek and joined our Congregation after meeting our Sisters at Cloppenburg Hospital. Under the guidance of Sister M. Landeline, she learnt “cooking and everything else she needed to know for life”, as stated in her certificate.

After her novitiate, she completed her nursing training at St. Franziskus Hospital in Münster and subsequently worked on the women’s ward in Harsewinkel and Horstmar. Later, we encountered her in the “coffee room” on the retreat corridor of the Motherhouse, and from 2003 to 2013 in the Motherhouse library. After that, she performed small duties at St. Heriburg House while continuing to live at the Motherhouse. In 2021, she moved to St. Heriburg House as a resident and, in her final days, lived in the Clara Ward for Sisters with dementia. There, on the fourth evening of the new year 2026, she embarked on her journey to God, lovingly cared for by her fellow Sisters and staff.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister Josefa Maria. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain sisterly connected to her. Our deepest sympathy goes to Sister M. Ursula, who was able to visit her the day before her death.

On Thursday, January 8, 2026, we will bid farewell to Sister Josefa Maria at the Resurrection Mass at 2 p.m. in the Motherhouse Church and then accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery. Afterwards, we can share our memories of her over coffee at the Motherhouse.

Sister M. Pankratia

Born: February 14, 1939
Entrance: February 3, 1962
Professed: October 28, 1964
Died: December 31, 2025

On New Year’s Eve 2025, the good and merciful God took our Sister by the hand and ended the earthly life of Sister M. Pankratia, née Maria Strüwe, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“My time is in your hands.”

(Psalm 31:17)

Maria Strüwe joined our Congregation in Münster from Bawinkel in Lower Saxony, about 100 kilometers to the north. Like all the Sisters, she passed her nursing exam. From 1967 to 1974, she worked in the infectious diseases ward of the newly founded St. Bernhard Hospital in Kamp-Lintfort. She then returned to the Motherhouse and found professional fulfillment as a seamstress, working in the Motherhouse sewing room for 51 years.   During that time, she witnessed several changes, including alterations to our religious habit, a relocation from the old sewing room to the present place, and changes among her fellow Sisters and colleagues.

Sister M. Pankratia was a constant presence with her calm and proper manner, always available to everyone. Until her sudden death, she was responsible for the Sisters’ veils. Sadly, she was unable to complete her last orders and did not have the opportunity to hand over her workplace and say goodbye. We are very grateful to her for everything she did for us.

Sister M. Pankratia was constant and persistent in her prayers. She never missed community prayer, and she served as prayer leader for several years. However, she never made a big deal of this; she simply got on with it.

On the Sunday after Christmas, she had a bad fall in her room in the afternoon, suffering a brain hemorrhage from which she never recovered. Three days later, she passed away at Clemens Hospital in Münster.

Sister M. Pankratia has found the last few years increasingly difficult due to her declining hearing. This made her feel lonely. She also missed Sister M. Gerharda, with whom she shared a close bond through their work in the sewing room. We hope that the two Sisters will meet again in Heaven.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Pankratia. As we pray and celebrate the Eucharist, we keep her in our thoughts, united with her as companion Sisters. We will celebrate the Mass of Resurrection for Sister M. Pankratia on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, at 2 p.m. in the Motherhouse Church in Münster.  After that, we will accompany her to her final resting place in the Sisters’ Cemetery.

Sister Mary Kelly, OSF

Born: July 27, 1932
Entrance: September 12, 1951
Professed: June 13, 1954
Died: December 5, 2025

Our fellow Sister in the U.S. Canonical House, Sister Mary Kelly, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, was called home to the Lord, our God.

“Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”

(Matthew 13:43)

Similar to turning a page in a book, the earthly life of Sister Mary Kelly gently changed as God turned the page, and her eternal life began – the life she had waited for 93 years – on December 5 at 7:30 a.m. with Sister Josephine Vanitha, Lori Wright, and Rylie Ackman by her side. As she prepared for her passing in the previous days, Sister Mary was lovingly cared for by the Loretto Home employees. She was often visited by Sisters and employees who expressed their love and appreciation.

Sister Mary, the former Sister Masseo and the daughter of Clarence and Mary Rose (Ferrari) Kelly, was born in Kincaid, IL, on July 27, 1932, and was raised in Nokomis, IL. Following her 8th-grade school trip to the Motherhouse, she began to sense God’s calling to consider religious life and nursing, which deepened throughout high school. Upon enrolling in St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1949, she witnessed the spirit and example of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, and on January 1, 1951, at 3:45 p.m., before beginning her evening shift, in the chapel of St. John’s Hospital, she accepted God’s invitation. Four months later, she shared the decision with her mother, and on August 19, 1951, she wrote, “Happy Birthday, Dad…I’m entering the Convent.” She entered the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis on September 12, 1951, and professed her first vows on June 13, 1954.

With Italian culture from her mother and Irish culture from her father, Sister Mary blended these cultures with kindness, empathy, a sense of humor, and a peaceful spirituality in her relationship with God. It might be said that the warmth of her spirit was enriched by her favorite pastime of spending time in the sun, often expressed because she was half Italian. Leadership abilities were enhanced through her trademark serene voice, which she often shared in Community prayer. Love was what motivated her – especially for her family, friends, and her Sisters.

Sister Mary was a 1955 graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Marquette University in 1958 and a master’s degree in nursing service administration from The Catholic University of America in 1965. Her life of service included nursing leadership at HSHS hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin, nursing education at Marillac College, Provincial Vicaress, and Motherhouse Superior of the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, the HSHS board of directors, and HSHS receptionist.

May she rest in peace in the warmth of Brother Sun.

Sister M. Waldemara

Born: August 26, 1943
Entrance: August 12, 1965
Professed: May 3, 1968
Died: November 22, 2025

Our fellow sister, Sr. M. Waldemara, née Anna Koop, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, died after a serious illness at the University Hospital in Münster.

Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

(John 14:6)

Sister M. Waldemara was born on the Koop family farm in Altenberge, near Meppen, and grew up with her six siblings. Two years after her older sister, Sister M. Herlinde, joined our community, Sister M. Waldemara followed her example.

Sister M. Waldemara was a typical nurse who worked on the wards at St Franziskus Hospital in Münster, Ennigerloh, Waldniel, Dorsten and Haltern. She completed the ward manager course in Freiburg and later took part in the pastoral course for the care of the elderly and sick in Münster. From 2013 onwards, she lived in the parish of Ahaus-Wüllen, caring for the elderly and immobile by visiting them and bringing them Holy Communion. She was also the superior of the convent, welcoming many guests.

In mid-2025, Sister M. Waldemara requested to be relieved of her duties and transferred to St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde. Her strength was visibly declining. After a lengthy stay at St Franziskus Hospital in Münster, she went to Nordwalde to recuperate. Sadly, she was no longer well enough to say goodbye to the sisters in the convent and the people of Wüllen. A few days ago, she was taken to Münster University Hospital due to an acute illness, where she peacefully gave her life back into God’s hands. 

Sister M. Waldemara drew strength in her life from the words of Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” She was familiar with this saying from the altarpiece in her parish church in Altenberge. When asked once whom she would like to meet in heaven, she replied, “Jesus and all my loved ones.” May she be granted just that. 

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Waldemara. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united to her as sisters.

Sister M. Princy

Born: October 18, 1962
Entrance: September 8, 1983
Professed: January 21, 1988
Died: October 27, 2025

Believing wholeheartedly on the words attributed to Saint Clare of Assisi on her deathbed, Sister M. Princy Vadakkadath, stepped into eternity this morning at 10:30, October 27, 2025.

…Blessed be You, O God, for having created me.

(St. Clare of Assisi)

Diagnosed with a malignant illness for more than a decade, she lived her earthly life in complete surrender to God’s will—following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom she deeply loved and faithfully imitated both in times of health and in suffering. Sr. M. Princy was born on October 18, 1962, in Poovathussery, Thrissur District, Kerala, to Mr. Varghese and late Mrs. Rosy. She was the eldest of five children, with three brothers and one sister.

After completing her high school education, she entered our Congregation on September 8, 1983. She made her First Profession on January 21, 1988, and her Final Profession on January 25, 1993. Sr. M. Princy was a sincere and dedicated religious who lived her life with steadfast endurance and love.

After her first profession, she underwent training in tailoring. From 1989 to 1991, she served as a seamstress at Anjali Niketan, Pithora. From 1992 to 2001, she was entrusted with the responsibility of the Tailoring School at the newly established St. Francis Convent, Valiaveli, Kerala. She later returned to Anjali Niketan, Pithora, where she once again assumed charge of the sewing room from2001 to 2003. During this period, she took the initiative to stitch uniforms for the students of Anjali Vidyalaya and Anjali Bal Niketan, Pithora. She also successfully completed a diploma course in embroidery and sewing at Wardha, Maharashtra.

Two years later, Sr. M. Princy was appointed teacher at Anjali Bal Niketan, Pithora. She fulfilled this responsibility with great love and dedication, caring deeply for the little children entrusted to her.

Her joy in teaching and her affection for children were evident in all she did. However, in 2012, she faced a severe trial when she was diagnosed with a malignant disease. During the following four years, she underwent treatment at the Regional Cancer Centre, Trivandrum, and at Sanjivani Hospital, Raipur. The treatment brought positive results, and her health gradually improved. In May 2016, Sr. M. Princy was transferred to St. Francis Vidya Bhawan, Kapa, where she faithfully served as the Sister-in-charge of the community for about four years.In October 2020, Sr. M. Princy was transferred to Anjali Niketan, Pithora. Gradually, her healthbegan to decline, and she required greater care and rest. Desiring to spend this period meaningfully and productively, she devoted herself to a work of love. A faithful devotee of the Blessed Mother, she began making rosaries by hand with deep devotion and dedication. With joy and contentment, she shared these rosaries with our sisters and well-wishers. On Mission Sundays, her handmade rosaries were placed in auctions to help raise funds for the missions.

A true Franciscan at heart, Sr. M. Princy was simple, hardworking, and cheerful. She showed great dedication and commitment to the growth of every ministry entrusted to her. Firm in her faith in God and her devotion to the Blessed Mother, she stood as a steadfast witness and a shining example, especially to the younger members of the Province.

We express our heartfelt condolences to Father Thomas Vadakadath, her paternal uncle, who guided and encouraged Sr. M. Princy to join our Congregation. We also stand in prayerful solidarity with her beloved father, brothers, sister, and all members of her family during this time of sorrow.

Dear Sisters, the passing away of Sr. M. Princy leaves us with a deep sense of loss and void. Her life of dedication, quiet service, and unwavering faith has touched each of us profoundly, and her absence will be felt in many ways.

We believe that Sister M. Princy now rejoices in the eternal presence of the Lord, in the loving company of the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom she so ardently loved and imitated throughout her life.

The mortal remains of Sr. M. Princy will be laid to rest at 10:30 a.m. on October 29, 2025, in our cemetery at Anjali Niketan Campus.

Farewell, dear Sister M. Princy. In gratitude for the gift of your life, we commend you to God’s loving embrace, rejoicing that you now rest in the Lord you so faithfully praised and served. May you rest in the eternal peace of Christ, whom you served so faithfully.

Sister M. Eufredis

Born: July 19, 1932
Entrance: August 4, 1951
Professed: May 3, 1954
Died: October 21, 2025

Christ, whom she trusted in her life, took our dear Sister M. Eufredis, née Helga Magdalena Scharnet, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, to Himself.

Christ, my Christ!

(Prayer by Sr. M. Eufredis)

Sister M. Eufredis was born in Marienburg in West Prussia, where she spent the first years of her childhood. Her father was transferred to Briesen as a police officer, where Helga was able to attend secondary school. As the Eastern Front drew closer, the family had to leave their home in 1944 and, after many detours, ended up in the Protestant city of Bremerhaven. At that time, it was common for Catholic families to be deliberately sent to Protestant areas. This difficult time had a profound effect on her. She talked about it repeatedly. To graduate from school, the girl attended elementary school and then business school. 

At St. Joseph’s Hospital, she got to know the Franciscan sisters as an apprentice cook and was able to join them in Münster in 1951. 

After passing her nursing exam, she worked in several hospitals in nursing and in the laboratory. Many of us know Sister M. Eufredis as the friendly sister with sparkling eyes at the gate in Kroge. She was then allowed to spend a few more years in Brake, overlooking Bremerhaven, her second home. In 2006, Sister M. Eufredis came to St. Heriburg House and took over the visiting service for her sisters for a long time. Since 2015, she had been a senior there and, for the past year, a resident of the St. Klara residential group, where she lovingly cared for until she passed away at 7:00 a.m.. Sister M. Eufredis was deeply affected by her experiences as a refugee, which never left her. Her anchor was always Christ, to whom she prayed: “Christ, my Christ!”

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Eufredis. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain united with her in sisterhood.

Sister M. Lea

Born: May 20,1942
Entrance: October 01, 1971
Professed: May 01, 1974
Died: October 02, 2025

The good and merciful God called our sister to him after a long period of illness, our dear Sister M. Lea, née Hilde Leusmann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Now, Lord, you let your servant
depart in peace, for my eyes have seen your salvation.

(From the evening prayer of the Church)

Sister M. Lea was born the third child to the farming family of Leusmann in Greven. From an early age, she wanted to become a religious sister, but her parents had other plans for her. After finishing school, she was expected to stay at home and look after her grandparents, and later her parents. It was not until the age of 29 that Hilde was finally able to join our congregation.

After completing her nursing exam at St. Franziskus Hospital in Münster, she later attended a ward manager course in Freiburg. Following this training, she worked at St. Josef’s Home in Bremen from 1983 to 1988, after which she moved to St. Rochus Hospital in Telgte. There, she cared for mentally ill women in the St. Michael protected ward.  She then took over foot care of her fellow sisters and reception duties at the Maria Hilf House in Telgte.

In 2018, Sister M. Lea moved into the St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde as a resident, as her strength was steadily declining. For a long time, she was unable to leave her room. When people visited her, she was always open and friendly. She prayed a lot, read, and did needlework with Sister M. Marialdis. Now the Lord has allowed his servant Sister M. Lea to depart in peace, on the day after her 54th anniversary of joining the religious community.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Lea. We remain united to her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister M. Johanna

Born: December 30, 1936
Entrance: February 11, 1956
Professed: September 17, 1958
Died: October 3, 2025

On Friday, October 3rd, 2025, at 6:08 AM, our sister Sr. M. Johanna Hisako Kataoka, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, having completed her earthly mission, was called home to the Lord while being cared for by Sr. M. Vianney, leaving behind a peaceful, peaceful expression. 

Lord, you are the light of my path, my all

(Ps. 119)

Sr. M. Johanna was born in Nagasaki and experienced the atomic bombing at age 9. Blessed with good health, she always seemed full of energy as she carried out her ministry. About a year and a half ago, during a routine checkup, her primary physician found an abnormal value in one test result. Further examination led to a diagnosis of “intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.” Sr. M. Johanna received detailed explanations from several specialist physicians regarding the options for medical or surgical treatment and the prognosis. After prayerful consideration, she chose “not to undergo active treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy, but to leave things to God’s will and follow nature’s course.” She expressed her wish to spend her final days in the palliative care unit (hospice). On September 3rd, the anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese Province, she was admitted to the palliative care ward, marking exactly one month of her battle with illness. Serving in her second term as Superior of the Himeji Convent, she poured her whole heart and soul into demonstrating her love for the sisters entrusted to her care, as well as for the international sisters, including the General Superior, faithfully fulfilling her sacred duties.

Sr. M. Johanna wrote a letter titled “Gratitude and Thanks” to us sisters this past July. In it, she reflected on her life and expressed her thoughts on the many graces she had received through the sisters in this congregation. 

Sister M. Aloysi

Born: June 15, 1943
Entrance: August 15, 1962
Professed: May 3,1965
Died: September 30, 2025

In this confidence, our dear Sister M. Aloysi, née Barbara Stroinski, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, gave her life back into the hands of God.

Into your hands I place with confidence my spirit

(Psalm 31:6)

Sister M. Aloysi was the last Provincial Superior of the former Rheinisch Province in Kamp-Lintfort, from 1993 until its dissolution in 1998. Before that, she was Provincial Vicaress there. She led the province with prudence and foresight and led it into the chapter in which the merger of the two German provinces was decided. We would like to thank Sister M. Aloysi most sincerely for her ministry.

Sister M. Aloysi was born in Cottbus in the former DDR. She later came to West Germany with her parents and got to know our community as a student at the nursing school in Datteln. It was there that the principal, Sister M. Ludowika, made a particular impression on the young woman.

After joining the religious community, she completed the school for social pedagogy and trained as a home manager. She then managed the student hostel in Datteln. She later became convent superior at the seminary in Bochum-Querenburg. After her time as provincial superior, she lived in a small convent in Krefeld and was involved in pastoral work there. She also did this in Billerbeck and Hamminkeln-Dingden.

In 2017, Sister M. Aloysi came to St. Heriburg House as a resident and took part in the convent and prayer life for as long as she was able. In recent times, she was completely dependent on the help of the staff and sisters, who were very happy to have her, as she accepted her numerous ailments, trusting that God always carried her and supported her even in the most difficult moments. This is what she told us in her personal will.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Aloysi. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain connected to her as sisters.

Sister M. Innozentia

Born: December 22, 1926
Entrance: January 30, 1953
Professed: October 28, 1955
Died: September 26, 2025

In the early hours of the morning, Jesus Christ, to whom she had entrusted her life, called to himself our dear Sister M. Innozentia née Paula Vaske, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Jesus be Jesus to me!

(Nils Stensen)

Sister M. Innozentia was born the eighth child of the Vaske family in Diekhaus, near Emstek. She grew up in a sheltered environment on her parents’ farm. She spoke fondly of her happy childhood, which was shaped by the Catholic faith and a down-to-earth attitude.  Two of her older sisters, Sister M. Bercharia and Sister M. Melita, joined our congregation. They were her great role models. At the age of 27, Paula followed them and also became a fellow sister in our congregation, taking the name Sister M. Innozentia.

Sister M. Innozentia served as superior and convent leader in Epe, Ibbenbüren-Püsselbüren and Epe again, for a total of 24 years. She then managed housekeeping at the seminary in Bochum and at the Bernsmeyer House in Telgte. In 2011, she returned to the mother house, moving to St. Heriburg House as a resident in 2021. In recent times, her strength had declined significantly, leaving her increasingly dependent on assistance. Sister M. Maris accompanied her on her journey for many years, supporting her and standing by her side until the final phase of her life. She gave her life back to God after 98 years, and prayed trustingly to him until the end, saying: ‘Jesus, be Jesus to me!’

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Innozentia. We remain united with her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.  We offer our sympathy to her faithful companion, Sister M. Maris.

Sister M. Ingeburg

Born: May 04, 1940
Entrance: August 15, 1963
Professed: May 03, 1966
Died: September 25, 2025

The good and faithful God whom she worshipped in the Eucharist called our sister, Sister M. Ingeburg, née Annemarie Heidermann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis to Himself.

Praise and glory be given without end to

 Jesus Christ in the Most Holy Sacrament! 

(Eucharistic Adoration)

Sister M. Ingeburg was born in Erle, near Dorsten. Her parents owned a hairdressing salon. Their daughter trained as a hairdresser and worked in the salon for several years. However, this was not her life’s goal. In 1962, aged 23, she joined the domestic service at Dorsten Hospital and subsequently entered our congregation.  After passing her nursing exams, she worked at St Rochus Hospital in Telgte for twenty years. She then had the opportunity to attend a one-year spiritual seminar in Munich, preparing her for her pastoral ministry at St Josef’s Foundation in Bremen and Löningen. From 2014 onwards, Sister M. Ingeburg welcomed guests to St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde. A few months ago, she fell seriously ill. As she had wished, she died in the presence of a fellow sister.

Sister M. Ingeburg drew strength from the Eucharist and from the words of Holy Scripture. 

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Ingeburg. We remain united with her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister M. Kunhildis

Born: September 20, 1936
Entrance: October 08, 1960
Professed: May 03, 1946
Died: September 12, 2025

On the evening of her 89^th birthday, the good and merciful GOD took
the cross from her shoulders and called our sister, née Agnes Tappehorn, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis to Himself.

In the cross is salvation,
in the cross is life,
in the cross is hope.

(Edith Stein)

Sister M. Kunhildis was born in Friesoythe in September 1936. In November 1936, Hitler ordered that crosses be removed from schools in the Oldenburg region. This obviously had a profound effect on Agnes Tappehorn. She wanted the key cross from the church in Friesoythe for her death notice. She also always had a good relationship with Our Lady of Bethen. Thus, she lived until the end from the strength of her Catholic faith, which she had come to know and appreciate through her family and her Oldenburg homeland.

At the age of 24, she joined our congregation. Sister M. Kunhildis became a nurse and completed further training as a massage therapist and medical bath attendant. From 1966 to 1989, she worked in physical therapy in Kamp-Lintfort and Meerbusch-Lank in the Rhineland. She was later able to express her creative side when she worked as a night nurse for her elderly sisters in Kamp-Lintfort and at the Maria Hilf retirement home in Telgte. Sister M. Kunhildis lived in Kroge from 2008 onwards. For many years, she lovingly cared for the guests of the convent and took care of the laundry. In recent months, her health had deteriorated, and she wished to devote herself to God, to whom she had made a promise when she took her vows. Sister M. Kunhildis had always had a good relationship with her family.  That is why she was very happy to be able to spend the last phase of her life in Kroge. She always enjoyed visits from her relatives. They were with her on the day she died, actually for a birthday visit, which was to be their last. We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Kunhildis. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in sisterly love.

Sister M. Kunibalda

Born: September 21, 1938
Entrance: February 4, 1961
Professed: October 28, 1963
Died: August 26, 2025

Our Sister completed her earthly life by the hand of the Mother of God and under her protection, Sister M. Kunibalda, née Katharina Heuer, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Virgin, Mother of God,
let me be wholly yours!
Yours for time and eternity!

(Prayer to Mary)

Sister M. Kunibalda was born into a mining family in Bottrop. She spent her childhood with her thirteen siblings, first in the Ruhr area and then in Legden near Ahaus from 1950 onwards. The family was characterized by a deep Christian faith and active involvement in the Catholic Church.

After finishing school, she helped her mother with the housework and earned money working on a farm before joining as the staff at Ahaus Hospital. She then joined our congregation in Muenster and was named Sister M. Kunibalda.

Following her nursing exams, she worked on a men’s internal medicine ward in Waltrop, in an intensive care unit in Gladbeck, and on another men’s ward in Wadersloh. In Kamp-Lintfort, she gained proficiency in ECG examinations. She then spent 38 years at Elisabeth Hospital in Meerbusch-Lank: 20 years in the ECG department, followed by a period in charge of the Sisters department. When the convent was dissolved in 2020, she moved to Nordwalde, where she spent her final days lovingly cared for by her fellow Sisters, the staff and her niece, who visited her on the day she died.

Sister M. Kunibalda was a great devotee of the Virgin Mary. She often entrusted herself to the Mother of God and loved praying to her. The months of May and October, traditionally associated with the rosary, were particularly precious to her.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Kunibalda. We remain united with her through sisterly love and the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister M. Ulrike

Born: May 15, 1941
Entrance: April 24, 1965
Professed: October 28, 1967
Died: August 26, 2025

After a long illness, the good and merciful God called to Himself our dear Sister M. Ulrike, née Hedwig Wienand, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

I am certain to see
God’s goodness in the land of the living.

(From Psalm 25)

Sister M. Ulrike was born in Stadtlohn, where she was raised alongside her four brothers and one sister. Her father died in a bombing raid when she was just three years old. During the war, their family home was destroyed in a fire, leaving her mother to raise six young children alone. This event had a profound effect on her and on family life. The young woman tried to support her family with the money she earned herself. At the age of 24, she met our Sisters at the hospital in Stadtlohn and joined our congregation. Following her religious profession, Sister M. Ulrike completed her secondary education in Münster and passed her nursing exam. From 1971 to 1986, she was Head Nurse on the women’s surgical ward at St. Bernhard Hospital in Kamp-Lintfort. She then attended the annual seminar for senior nurses in Göttingen.

During this time, she had a serious bicycle accident that changed her life. Unfortunately, she was never able to return to her previous level of activity. She worked as a sacristan at Haus Maria Trost and at the newly opened convent in Bardowick. She then worked at the reception desk in Bremen, Südlohn, and Telgte. In 2021, her strength declined so much that Sister M. Ulrike came to St. Heriburg House as a senior sister. Since 2022, she had been a resident of the Sylvia ward in Kroge, where she now gave her life back into God’s hands. Sister M. Simone lovingly accompanied her through her final years and remained by her side until her death.

Sister M. Ulrike was a deeply devout woman who lived by the teachings of the Gospel. She took a keen interest in all new theological topics. It was always a joy to discuss things with her.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Ulrike. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in sisterly love.

Sister M. Liobalda

Born: August 20, 1930
Entrance: August 13, 1954
Professed: May 3, 1957
Died: August 25, 2025

GOD, the good shepherd to whom she entrusted her life, led our Sister home to complete her 95-year journey through life, Sister M. Liobalda, née Johanna Muhle, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“The Lord is my sheperd;
I have everything I need.”

(Psalm 23,1)

Sister M. Liobalda was born in Olfen in the district of Lüdinghausen and grew up with her uncle. Her parents died when she was three years old. Two of her four siblings also became nuns. She learned cooking from the Franciscan Sisters at the Seppenraden hospital. At the age of 24, she joined the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, became a nurse, and a dietitian.

IIn Emstek and Ankum, Sister M. Liobalda managed the hospital kitchen and then, from 1984 to 1998, served as the Superior and housekeeper at the priests’ seminary in Muenster. This was the time when Pope John Paul II visited Muenster. He stayed at the seminary at that time. For the next ten years, Sister M. Liobalda was the convent superior at the Ahaus hospital. After that, she worked in the library of the Lüdinghausen hospital. Then she moved to the motherhouse and took care of the chapel of Maria-Trost home in Muenster.

In 2016, Sister M. Liobalda moved into St. Heriburg House as a resident. She was increasingly limited by her illnesses. However, this did not prevent her from regularly attending church services in her wheelchair for as long as she could. It was her wish that the psalm verse “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” should appear on her death notice. In this way, she wanted to tell us that she always knew she was in the hands of the Good Shepherd and was thus able to master her long life, even after the early loss of her parents and with her serious illnesses.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Liobalda. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain united with her in sisterly love.

Sister M. Siegharda

Born: May 7, 1938
Entrance: February 7, 1958
Professed: October 28, 1960
Died: August 19, 2025

The good and benevolent God called to Himself our dear fellow sister, born by the name Elisabeth Grevenstette, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Mary said:

 “Do whatever he tells you.”

(Wedding at Cana, John 2:5)

Sister M. Siegharda was born on a farm in Gramdorf-Langwege in the district of Vechta. After finishing school, she began working in the kitchen of St. Joseph’s Hospital in Cloppenburg. Here she got to know and appreciate the sisters and her future profession. In the convent, she became a nurse and also trained as a dietitian. To be able to support the practical training of dietetic students at St Franziskus Hospital, Sister M. Siegharda attended the annual seminar at Werner School in Göttingen. For almost 30 years, she has helped many students to apply their theoretical knowledge in practice. Consequently, the hospital’s patients always received appropriate and varied diets. As well as caring for the sick, Sister M. Siegharda always had something to spare for those in need who came to her in the kitchen. Her open and positive attitude made it easy for her to connect with people.

As a devotee of Mary, the words of the Mother of God were important to her. ‘Do whatever he tells you.’ Deeply rooted in her faith, after the Vatican II, she examined the innovations that were emerging within religious orders. In her limited free time, she attended theological seminars, further training courses, and discussions.

Following her time as diet kitchen manager at St. Franziskus Hospital, Sister M. Siegharda first served in the kitchen of Priests seminary in Münster, thereafter served in the Franciscan’s kitchen in Werl, and, as she grew older, became involved in Billerbeck and Vreden. In 2018, she moved to St. Anna-Stift as a senior citizen. Even here, she continued to devote herself wholeheartedly. For instance, she picked apples and cooked them in the kitchen. She also made sure to regularly clean the garden benches so that the sisters could use them. In the presence of her niece and fellow sisters, she now entrusted her rich life back into God’s hands.  

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Siegharda. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her in sisterly love.

Sister M. Bernreda

Born: August 13, 1936
Entrance: January 31, 1959
Professed: October 28, 1961
Died: August 14, 2025

He who gives us flowers and herbs called his “flower friend” and fellow sister, born by the name Antonia Fastermann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, to him.

“Be praised, my Lord, through our sister Mother Earth, who feeds us and rules us, and produces various fruits with colored flowers and herbs.”

(Canticle of the Sun)

Sister M. Bernreda was a true Franciscan who made the Canticle of the Sun her life’s song. We knew her as a true flower lover. In all the convents, you could tell that Sister M. Bernreda was there by the floral decorations in the chapel and in the house. We especially remember her 26 years in Seppenrade. The flowers in the convent garden and on the Sisters’ graves bloomed much larger than elsewhere. When asked about this, she said that you had to talk to them and give good fertilizer to the roots. In winter, she grew the flowers in the greenhouse and then planted them in the spring. People came from near and far to admire her garden.

In addition to being a nurse, Sister M. Bernreda was also a dietitian and head of the kitchen in Dorsten for 18 years. She then completed the annual seminar for senior sisters in Göttingen and became the assistant to the superior in Gladbeck and Oberhausen-Osterfeld and herself superior in Liesborn.

In Seppenrade, she was finally able to turn her hobby of gardening into her main profession. She was put in charge of the garden. She also took over the driving service for the Sisters and contributed her beautiful singing voice to the convent’s prayers.

When the convent in Seppenrade was dissolved in 2021, she moved to St. Franziskus House in Nordwalde as a senior citizen. By then, she had exhausted her strength, so she lovingly allowed herself to be cared for by the staff of the nursing station until she gave her life back into God’s hands on the afternoon after her 89th birthday.

Sister M. Viventia

Born: January 3, 1932
Entrance: February 2, 1952
Professed: October 28, 1954
Died: July 16, 2025

On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 2:45 p.m., our beloved God called to himself our dear Sister M. Viventia, born by the name of Genowefa Herman, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Neh.8:10

Sister M. Viventia was born in Katowice/Chebzie.

During her postulancy, Sister M. Viventia worked as a nursing assistant in the surgical ward of St. Adalbert Hospital in Opole. She studied at a nursing school in Krakow and obtained her nursing diploma in 1964. She then worked as a highly competent nurse at the Children’s Clinic for Infectious Diseases in Wroclaw until September 1989. During this time, she was provincial councillor for six years and Superior of the local convent for twelve years. For another seven years, she worked in housekeeping and as matron at the bishop’s residence in Opole. From 1996, she lived in the provincial house, where she took on various household tasks and helped in the infirmary. In 2017, she was transferred to the nursing home in Opole-Stephanshöh because she needed treatment and rehabilitation.

Sister M. Viventia distinguished herself in her service as a nurse and by her superior kindness, goodwill, hospitality, gentleness toward all, and a great sense of humour. She had a generous and kind heart for the poor and needy who knocked on the doors of our convents. She showed great openness toward those who visited our provincial house, offering them a kind word, time, and friendliness. Many who came unexpectedly felt welcome and cared for by Sister M. Viventia, who received them at the gate. She was very conscientious in her duties.

From an early age, she had a special love for St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. She claimed to be as stubborn as little Teresa herself. Sister M. Viventia was as persistent on the path to holiness as Saint Teresa and, like her, had a gentle and boundless love for Jesus.

She cultivated relationships with her family, showed them love and kindness, and surrounded them with prayer and gratitude.

In her last years, her physical strength declined more and more, which she accepted with resignation to God’s will, and on July 16, in the 71st year of her religious life, she slept peacefully under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and entered the Kingdom of Heaven.

She is grateful to her fellow sisters for all the kindness and service they have shown her, especially to the sisters in Opole Szczepanowice. We continue to commend herself to our prayers and trust that she will support us from heaven.

Sister M. Alfriedis

Born: February 2, 1931
Entrance: August 8, 1952
Professed: May 3, 1955
Died: July 19, 2025

In the hope that Christ, her strength and light, would guide her on her way, our fellow sister, born by the name Gertrud Schölpen, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, gave her life back into the hands of the good and merciful God.

My hope and my joy, my strength, my light,

Christ my confidence. I trust in you and am not afraid.

(Gotteslob No. 365)

Sister M. Alfriedis was born in Homberg on the Lower Rhine shortly before the beginning of the Third Reich. Her childhood and school years fell during the time of National Socialism.

Her school certificate bears a stamp with the swastika. Her Catholic family did not have an easy time, but their strong faith carried them through these difficult times and had a lasting impact on their lives.

At the age of 21, Gertrud Schölpen joined our religious order and became Sister M. Alfriedis.

Caring for the sick and elderly was always a deep concern of hers. After qualifying, she worked for 33 years as a nurse and ward sister in Hückeswagen and Waldniel. She then completed a geriatric care seminar while working, in Holthausen, and moved from the Rhineland into elder care at Körbecke on Lake Möhne, with intermediate stops in Dortmund and Sevelen. In 2012, she was finally able to rest from her long service and moved as a senior to the Maria Hilf convent in Telgte. In 2015, she transferred to the St. Heriburg House, where she spent her final months in the new ward St. Klara, enjoying the special atmosphere of this residential group.

According to reports, her namesake, Saint Alfried, died “rich in days”—and so did Sister M. Alfriedis, who lived to be 94 years old.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Alfriedis. We remain united to her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister Mary Evelyn, OSF

Born: December 27, 1922
Entrance: September 8, 1949
Professed: June 13, 1952
Died: June 21, 2025

Jesus Christ called our Sister to join him in his heavenly home, Sister Mary Evelyn Lamb, OSF, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

But the Lord has been my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.

Psalm 94:22

When you are the oldest of 12 children, your parents will need your assistance with cooking, household chores, and the care of your younger siblings. By doing so, you will learn many things, including the value of strength, and such is the character of Sister Mary Evelyn, OSF. The strength she leamed as a child, and which carried her through her 102 years of life, was what gently guided her feet as she stepped into heaven on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 11 :15 a.m. with Sisters Jamesine and Marilyn, along with Associate Pat Goldsmith, at her side.

Mary Evelyn Lamb was born in Aud, MO, on December 27, 1922, the daughter of James Earl end Hada (Mantle) Lamb. She enjoyed school and was the valedictorian of her graduating class. While she taught first through eighth grades in a one-room school, and worked in a pants factory and the superintendent of schools’ office, she felt a calling to religious life to be a missionary nurse.

In 1945, she was in a boat on a man-made lake on the family’s property with her 18-year-old sister Eartine and a friend. As the boat capsized, her friend swam to safety, while Sister Mary Evelyn, who could not swim, climbed onto the boat. As she watched Earline drown in the lake, Sister Mary Evelyn asked God to save her life, and in doing so, she could follow her calling to religious life. Four years later, an advertisement for the Hospital Sisters in a vocation magazine caught her eye, and following her visit to the Motherhouse, she entered on September 8, 1949. She professed her first vows on June 13, 1952, and two of her sisters joined her in this community: Jane Marie (1954) and Jamesine (1955).

Sister Mary Evelyn was a 1958 graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. She also earned a Bachelor of Education degree from Quincy University in 1956 and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from Sangamon State University in 1975.

Sister Mary Evelyn served in nursing at HSHS lllinois and Wisconsin hospitals and St. Francis Convent. In addition, she served at Springfleld & Sangamon County Community Action, Alverna Horne Nursing Center, Chicago, IL (she enjoyed drivlng in the city), and at lnterfaith Caregivers, Eau Claire, WI, where she was the assistant director.

Sister Mary Evelyn returned to St. Francis Convent in 1995 and, in the years that followed, she remained active by painting in various styles, including icons, healing touch, regular exercise, playing Rummikub, and showcasing her sense of humor, which was one of her trademarks. She was dedicated to the life she chose and lived it fully.

She was preceded in death by her parents and brothers: Melvin Mark, James Earl 11, Paul David, Dale George, Walter William, and Robert Owen: and sisters: Earline Lucy Lamb and Sister Jane Marie Lamb, OSF (2005). She is survived by a brother, Charles Joseph (Kansas City, MO), and sisters: Sister Jamesine Lamb, OSF, and Esther Ann Brandt (Kansas City, MO}, many nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and nephews.

Services and burial will be at St. Francis Convent. The Visitation wlll be held on Thursday, June 26, 2025, from 4-7 p.m. with a Wake Service at 6:00 p.m. The Eucharistie Celebration and Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Gregory Dick, O.Praem., on Friday, June 27, 2025 at 10 a.m. in the St. Clare of Assisi Adoration Chapel, and burial will be in Crucifixion Hill Cemetery. Butler Funeral Horne is in charge of arrangements.

As her family greeted her in heaven, her parents and siblings joined in God’s proclamation of “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” May she rest in peace.

Sister M. Ancilla

Born: October 25, 1935
Entrance: August 10, 1956
Professed: May 3, 1959
Died: June 30, 2025

Jesus Christ called our Sister to join him in his heavenly home, Sister M. Ancilla, née Theresia Schomaker, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

“For us, our citizenship is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Lord.”

Phil 3, 20

Sister M. Ancilla grew up with her twelve siblings on the Schomaker family farm in Westendorf near Glandorf. Like her four sisters, Gottharda, Alderika, Emilianis and Rosalia, she became a member of our congregation.

Until 1983, Sister M. Ancilla worked as a nurse in Legden and Issum-Sevelen. Then she attended a geriatric nursing seminar in Munich and cared for the elderly and for her fellow sisters in Issum-Sevelen, Alpen and in the St. Heriburg House. From 2007, she lived in Lingen-Biene, where she took care of the household and the parish church in the small convent with Sister M. Emilianis. She particularly enjoyed this service, as it allowed her to make good use of her creative skills and the sisters there had a lot of contact with the people in the parish. When the convent was dissolved, she returned to the motherhouse together with Sister M. Emilianis. There, too, she continued to work in the sewing room, despite her dwindling strength.

Together, the two siblings moved to St. Heriburg House as seniors in April of this year, where Sister M. Ancilla gave her life back to God in the early hours of the morning of June 30. Her sisters Gottharda, Alderika, and Rosalia are waiting for her in heaven.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Ancilla. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist, and we remain united with her in sisterly love.  Our sympathy goes out to Sister M. Emilianis, who accompanied her until her dying hour.

Sister M. Reginata

Born: June 29, 1927
Entrance: January 25, 1952
Professed: October 28, 1954
Died: June 16, 2025

Under the protection and guidance of the Blessed Mother, our sister, born Elisabeth Brinker-Ohmscheiper, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, gave her life back to God at the age of 98.

Mary said: “Do whatever he tells you.”

Wedding at Cana, Joh. 2,5

‘Active charity has defined her life since her youth,’ wrote the local newspaper WAZ in Lünen in 1987 about Sister M. Reginata.  In 1990, she was honored with an honorary certificate as ‘the most popular helper in white’. Friendliness, helpfulness and tireless dedication were cited as her outstanding qualities. This is how we have known and appreciated her for 73 years.

Sister M. Reginata was born in Wettringen 98 years ago and joined our congregation at the age of 25. Following her training as a nurse and ward sister, she became a hospital chaplain, working in Ahaus for the first three years and then at the Marienhospital in Lünen for six years. She then worked as a pastoral care worker at the Maria Frieden rehabilitation clinic in Telgte for another 25 years, where she managed the library as well as providing pastoral care and enjoying interacting with people.

Sister M. Reginata was a pastoral care worker through and through, and she was affectionately known as the ‘Bishop’. She introduced several Nigerian priests to both the German language and the way of life. Had it been possible, she would have been well suited to leading a parish.  Sister M. Reginata had a wealth of prayers which accompanied her into old age. She had a special devotion to the Blessed Mother and enjoyed making pilgrimages to the Chapel of Grace in Telgte to feel close to her.

Ten years ago, Sister M. Reginata came to St. Heriburg House, where she lived in the new 
St. Klara residential area for the last few months due to her dementia.  She resided here for the rest of her life, where she received devoted care from her fellow sisters and staff.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Reginata. We remain united to her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister M. Bernaldis

Born: September 16, 1939
Entrance: february 4, 1961
Professed: October 28, 1963
Died: June 7, 2025

The good God, in whose hands her name has been written for 86 years, now took our fellow Sisters by the hand and led her to himself, Sister M. Bernaldis, née Helene Eilermann, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

God has written us in his hand, and God’s hands are good hands.

Cardinal Höffner

Sister M. Bernaldis was born in Spahnharrenstätte, near Sögel, in the German Emsland. Despite the early death of mother, she and her siblings were able to stay together as a family. Sister M. Bernaldis was very grateful for this. It was through her training with Sister M. Landeline in the Cloppenburg hospital kitchen that she became acquainted with the Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.

Following her nursing exams, Sister M. Bernaldis spent the next ten years working as a surgical nurse at Marienhospital in Luenen. However, she missed having direct contact with patients. She therefore completed her training in outpatient care and geriatric nursing at Arenberg, after which she was employed in social care units in Dingden, Datteln, and Muenster-Roxel. Subsequently, she took over the outpatient hospice service in Recklinghausen, followed by the pastoral care service in Emsdetten and Ahaus.

Many people knew and appreciated Sister M. Bernaldis, who always drove up in her little car with a friendly face, as well as a great deal of expertise and empathy.

Sister M. Bernaldis had lived at St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde as a senior since 2016. She repeatedly supported her fellow Sisters who were sick or dying, spending many hours praying at their bedsides. She was always available to help when needed. She managed to continue doing so until a few weeks ago, when she fell ill with cancer herself. She was very aware of her mortality and approached her death calmly. She received a great deal of support from her family and the nursing staff, particularly Sisters M. Seraphinis and M. Vincentia. Thus, protected and sheltered, she was able to put her life back in God’s hands in the early hours of the Saturday before Pentecost.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Bernaldis. We remain united to her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister M. Reingardis

Born: April 3, 1938
Entrance: August 12, 1960
Professed: Mai 3, 1963
Died: June 6, 2025

One day after celebrating the 70^th anniversary of her religious profession, the Lord God “”At the age of 87, she returned her life to the hands of God, our dear Sister M. Reingardis, née Lucia Wiewel, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Into your hand Lord I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me,
O Lord, God of truth.

Psalm 31:6

Sister M. Reingardis was born in Neuenkirchen Vörden/Germany, where she grew up with her six siblings. She was particularly good at housework. After leaving school, she worked as a housekeeper on a farm in Lage-Rieste. It was through her aunt, Sister M. Baldimera, who was a kitchen nurse in Damme, that Lucia found her way to the Hospital Sisters at the age of 22.

After her Profession, she completed her nursing training in Muenster, underwent training as a healthcare trainer in Essen, and completed a ward manager course in Freiburg. Well equipped with these qualifications, she worked as a nurse and ward manager in several hospitals until 1980. She then turned her attention to housekeeping, a subject in which she was greatly interested. She worked in Dingden, Gladbeck and Dorsten, and from 1995 to 2015 she worked in the refectory of the Motherhouse in Muenster. She particularly enjoyed helping the guests who came to the Elisabeth Oasis for their daily breakfast.

From 2015 onwards, Sister M. Reingardis lived as a senior citizen, most recently in St. Heriburg House in Muenster, where she returned her life to God in the presence of her fellow sisters.

Her final years were characterized by her deteriorating hearing, which caused her great distress. However, this did not stop her from participating in community life, especially daily prayer and celebrating the Eucharist.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Reingardis. We remain united to her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister M. Benediktis

Born: April 1, 1928
Entrance: August 9, 1952
Professed: Mai 3, 1955
Died: May 7, 2025

One day after celebrating the 70^th anniversary of her religious profession, the Lord God completed the earthly life of our dear Sister M. Benediktis Brügge, Anna Feldhacke, Hosptial Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

When God calls us home, it is the greatest holiday for our soul, because we come to the one who loves us most.

(St. Francis de Sales)

Sister M. Benediktis was born in Recke 97 years ago and grew up with her five siblings on her parents’ farm. After primary school she attended a commercial college in Osnabrück. There she received an “emergency diploma”, as the school had to be closed in 1944 due to the many bomb raids on the city. In the same year, her father died and her brothers were at war, so Anna had to help with the farm work at home. She met our Sisters in the hospital at Recke in 1952 and joined our congregation at the age of 24.

From 1961 to 1979, Sister M. Benediktis was in charge of the laboratory in Lingen and Cloppenburg. It was then that she had the opportunity for training in pastoral care. This was her heart’s desire. From 1980 to 2006 she worked as a pastoral counselor in Lünen and Gronau. There she was able to share her deep faith with many people. Because of her age, she then moved to St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde. There she loved to spend time in the library until her strength no longer allowed it.

Sister M. Benediktis was given the great grace of celebrating her Jubilee of Grace the day before her death in the company of her sisters and relatives. She was especially grateful to her brothers and sisters, as well as to her nieces and nephews, who, together with her fellow Sisters, were always there for her.

Her wish was that Jesus Christ would meet her at the hour of death and that she would then be able to see all those who were dear to her again. We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Benediktis. We remain united to her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Schwester M. Maristella

Born: April 28, 1928
Entrance: January 27, 1956
Profession: October 28, 1958
Died: April 27, 2025

On the morning of Divine Mercy Sunday, our sister, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis and born by the name of Maria Willen gave her life back into God’s hands.

Virgin, Mother of God,
let me be wholly yours!

(Prayer to Mary)

Sister M. Maristella was born in Lewinghausen near Löningen on the Willen family farm, where she grew up with her three sisters and four brothers. Before joining the congregation, she completed her nursing training at the Augusta Hospital in Düsseldorf. She came to our congregation through the Franciscans sisters in Glandorf near Osnabrück. She initially worked as a ward nurse in several hospitals and, from 1979, as a community nurse in her old home town of Essen/Oldbg., Lastrup and Löningen. Sister M. Maristella was very popular there and is still fondly remembered by some of the families she cared for. In 2012, she moved to the St. Heriburg-Haus in Münster as a senior citizen. One day before her 98th birthday, God called her home.

Daily Holy Mass had been familiar to her since childhood and gave her strength for her long journey through life.

Born Maria and later Sister Maristella, she felt a special connection to the Mother of God. She was very fond of praying the Rosary. She wanted the image of Our Lady of Telgte on her death card, also as a sign of her connection to the founding place of our congregation.
She consciously lived her faith until the end and walked the path hand in hand with the Mother of God. May she now accompany her on her final journey to God.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Maristella. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist, and remain united with her in sisterly love

Schwester M. Hermana

Born: January 21, 1924
Entrance: January 30, 1948
Professed: October 28, 1950
Died: April 15, 2025

Our sister, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, born by the name of Ida Kohls, was able to celebrate her resurrection on Tuesday in the Holy Week.

Resurrection is our faith.

Reunion is our hope.

Remembrance is our love.

(Hl.Augustinus)

Sister M. Hermana was able to look back over a whole century before she died at the age of 101. In three weeks, she would have been able to celebrate her crown jewel anniversary 75 years after her first profession.

Ida Kohls was born in Ellenstedt during the Weimar Republic and grew up with her six siblings on her parents’ farm. She experienced the “Third Reich” as a schoolgirl and helped on her parents’ farm during the Second World War. Her Catholic family actively campaigned against National Socialism in the region “Oldenburger Muensterland” in the North-West of Germany.

When the Federal Republic of Germany was rebuilt after the war, the young woman joined our congregation. In addition to her nursing training, she also trained as a manager for nursing homes. She took on the role of the superior in Everswinkel, Straelen, Körbecke and St Heriburg House.
She then looked after the refectory at St. Josefs-Haus in Ennigerloh and returned to St. Heriburg-Haus as a senior in 2018, where she was still able to take part in the community’s convent and prayer life until a few weeks ago. Weak and tired with age, she placed her life back in God’s hands, as calmly and quietly as we had come to know and appreciate her.

Sister M. Hermana did not make a fuss about herself, but was very present with her large, radiant eyes. She loved going on pilgrimage to the Mother of Sorrows in Buddenbaum. She said that she loved praying in the community, but especially enjoyed the quiet times in the chapel.

We bid a grateful farewell to Sister M. Hermana. We remember her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain connected to her as sisters.

Schwester M. Sixta

Born: February 12,1942
Entrance: February 11,1964
Profession: October 28,1966
Died: April 5, 2025

In the early morning hours, our Sister,Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, born by the name of Margret Hinxlage, surrendered her life into God’s hands.

My days are in your hand.

(Psalm 31, 16a)

Sister M. Sixta grew up with her twelve siblings on the Hinxlage farm in Kellerhöhe in the Oldenburg region. After finishing school, she attended the agricultural school in Garrel and did her practical training on her parents’ farm. Since she had always wanted to become a nun, she was allowed to go to the hospital in Waltrop for two years to get to know the work of the Franciscan Sisters there, and then she joined the Congregation. She followed her older sisters, Sister M. Johanna and Sister M. Raymira.
Sister M. Sixta worked in the convent mainly as a nurse and in housekeeping.

We have fond memories of our large cemetery in Telgte, which she lovingly tended for many years. She was able to contribute her experience from her agricultural training. The flowers always bloomed beautifully in her care. She also devoted her time to the bees and was able to harvest a lot of honey from them.

We also have to thank her for the decorative bouquets that the Sisters received on their jubilees. Until two years ago, she always made them for everyone.

Since 2017, Sister M. Sixta lived together with Sister M. Raymira in St. Anna-Stift in Kroge. After a long illness, she followed her sister M. Johanna and other Sisters on their way to heaven.

With gratitude, we say goodbye to Sister M. Sixta. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain united with her as Sisters.”

Schwester M. Servulina

Born: 8. Dezember 1928
Entrance: 27. Januar 1951
Profession: 3. Mai 1954
Died: 17. März 2025

On her name day, our good God called our Sister, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, born in the name of Gertrud Micke, to Himself.

Faithful is God who calls you. He will also complete it.

(1. Thess. 5,24)

Sister M. Servulina was born as one of six siblings in Münster-Amelsbüren, where her father was a forester at Herold Castle. As her mother died early, she grew up with foster parents in Füchtorf, who took very good care of her, as she repeatedly said. It was here that she came in contact with the Franciscan Sisters from St. Mauritz, who worked in outpatient care.

At the age of twenty-three, Gertrud joined our religious Congregation and became a member of our community. Among other things, she worked in the hospitals in Haselünne, Lünen, Liesborn and Ennigerloh as a ward sister. In 1979, Sister M. Servulina came to Seppenrade and remained there until the convent was dissolved in 2021. We know her from that time as a receptionist and even better as an organist who played the organ with lot of love and accompanied the church services.  We will always remember her calm and kind manner and her shining eyes.

A few days before her death, Sister M. Servulina was admitted to St. Francis Hospital and was due to be discharged on March 18. However, she insisted that she be discharged on March 17, on her name’s day. In the afternoon, she received the anointing of the sick and the doctor finally allowed her to return to St. Heriburg House that evening. When the nurses said goodbye to her for the night, she had no wishes and just wanted to sleep. So she fell asleep and quietly and unnoticed made her way to God, for whom she longed very much, shortly before midnight.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Servulina. In prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist, we remember her and remain connected to her as Sisters.

Sister M. Alwine

Born: February 9,1935
Entrance: January 28,1955
Professed: October 28,1957
Died: March 8, 2025

The good and compassionate God called our Sister, born by the name of Klara Niehues, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis, to Himself.

Virgin, Mother of God mine,

let me be all yours!

Yours for time and eternity!

(Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary)

Sister M. Alwine was born into a family of miners in Altlünen. She was characterized by the straightforwardness and reliability of the people in this region, which also included a firm faith.

The young Klara became familiar with the Franciscans from St. Mauritz at the Marien Hospital in Lünen. At the age of twenty, she joined our religious community in Münster and became a true Franciscan.

Sister M. Alwine’s name is firmly associated with St. Bernhard Hospital in Kamp-Lintfort. From the founding of the hospital in 1967 until the departure of our Sisters here in 2015, she managed the large laundry there. She thus took on the service of Martha, as described in the Bible, as a tireless caregiver for the well-being of the people in the hospital.

In her little free time, she used her bicycle to go on long tours through the Rhine area. She often went to Kevelaer to pray to Our Lady, as she was a great devotee of the Virgin Mary.

In 2015, Sister M. Alwine moved to St. Franziskus-Haus in Nordwalde, where she spent her retirement. There she quietly gave her life back to her Creator.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Alwine. We remain connected to her as sisters in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist.

Sister M. Anna Esseling

Born: December 10, 1940
Entrance: August 15, 1962
Professed: May 3, 1965
Died: February 28, 2025

The good and faithful God, in whom she placed her trust, redeemed our

Sister M. Anna Esseling, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

Into your hands I commend my spirit;

You have redeemed me, O Lord, you faithful God.

Psalm 31:6

Sister M. Anna Esseling was born in Stadtlohn, Germany, where she grew up on a farm with her seven brothers and sisters. Before entering the congregation, she was trained as a housekeeper and got to know and appreciate Sister M. Helena as a ward assistant in the hospital in Stadtlohn. Through Sister M. Helena she joined our Congregation and made her first profession in the Motherhouse in Münster in 1965. This year she would have celebrated the diamond jubilee of her religious profession.

As a professed member, Sister M. Anna continued her education as a nurse, also as a geriatric nurse. She enjoyed her profession as a health care professional, but her illness did not allow her to work for long periods of time, so she was often transferred. She enjoyed working in the convent Maria-Hilf in Telgte in the refectory and at the entrance. She was very grateful for that time. Until the convent in Seppenrade was closed, she was there for ten years before moving to St. Heriburg House in Münster as a senior resident.

We know Sister M. Anna as a loving and motherly Sister who was always happy to help her fellow Sisters and to offer them a little help. In doing so, she strove to follow her patron saint, St. Mother Anna, whom she greatly admired.

It was Sister M. Anna’s wish not to be alone at the hour of death. This was granted to her.
A fellow sister sat at her deathbed and held her hand. Sister M. Anna would like to thank everyone and ask for forgiveness if she ever offended anyone.

We gratefully bid farewell to Sister M. Anna. We remember her in prayer and in the celebration of the Eucharist and remain connected to her as sisters.”