Sister M. Elisabeth Schmitz

Born: April 10, 1935
Entrance: August 15, 1963
Professed: May 3, 1966
Died: November 1, 2024

“When morning came, Jesus stood on the shore” (John 21.4) and called our dear sister to HIM. Sister M. Elisabeth Schmitz, Hospital Sister of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.

I always receive myself from your hand.

Romano Guardini

Sister M. Elizabeth was born into a family of musicians in Brüggen in Kempen. Both her father and her brother were organists there. After leaving school, she trained to become a commercial clerk in a wholesale textile company and then went to work in the administration of the Meerbusch-Lank Hospital, where she met the Hospital Sisters of St. Mauritz. From here she joined our congregation. She was employed in the administration of the motherhouse and later in the secretariat. These duties gave the musical Sister the time to complete her training in church music. She played the organ in the Motherhouse church and accompanied the piano at celebrations, to the delight of her fellow Sisters and many visitors. Sister M. Elisabeth literally absorbed the melody of God. She blessed us with her choir singing and organ playing. She was also very fond of secular music and was particularly fond of André Rieu. When she accompanied a Sister on a drive in the car and was looking at the countryside and listenong to music, her eyes would light up even more than usual. This was her way of enjoying the world and life. In addition to her Franciscan spirituality, she also felt a strong attachment to the Benedictine order. She was a great devotee of the Virgin Mary and she prayed a lot.

Sister M. Elisabeth did not make a great fuss about herself. She was there in silence, helping wherever she was needed. She was always very happy when she could travel to her family in the Rhineland and when relatives visited her until the end.

In the year 2018, Sister M. Elisabeth moved to the St. Heriburg House because her strength was failing and the afflictions of old age were becoming more and more noticeable. in the first hour of All Saints’ Day, she placed her life back into the hands of God.

We bid farewell to Sister M. Elisabeth with gratitude. We remember her in our prayers and in the celebration of the Eucharist. We remain united with her as sisters. On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, we will say goodbye to Sister M. Elisabeth at 2 pm 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 in the motherhouse.