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.