Sister Francella Gust, age 90, died on February 2, 2023, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston, MN.
Sister Francella was born at home on October 10, 1932, in Tabor, MN, the tenth of eleven children of John Jacob Gust and Frances Ann (Kotrba) Gust. At baptism she was given the name Frances.
The Gust family were members of Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Tabor. Sister Francella became acquainted with the Benedictine sisters when they came to her parish to teach summer religious education classes.
Frances attended District 64 country grade school. No matter the season, she and her siblings often walked the two and a half miles to school. For high school, Frances attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy in Crookston.
During her senior year, she entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. She received the Benedictine habit and the name of Sister Francella on July 10, 1950, pronounced temporary vows on July 11, 1951, and made her final monastic profession on July 11, 1954.
Sister Francella graduated from the Saint Cloud School of Nursing in 1959. Over a period of thirty-one years, she successfully served as a staff nurse or as a nursing supervisor at Saint Francis Hospital in Crookston, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes and Villa Saint Vincent. She then pursued training in clinical pastoral education from Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, ND, and served in pastoral care at Villa Saint Vincent in Crookston for thirty-three years until her retirement in 2016.
Sister Francella said she found celebration of feasts and the companionship of the sisters to be particularly life-giving. She leant her good soprano voice and full heart to liturgical prayer. She enjoyed small group living where, she said, she found the freedom to express and to receive love and concern.
In her retirement, Sister Fran liked watching good movies and plying various crafts, especially crocheting, decoupaging, and embroidering. Her embroidered dishtowels sold as fast as drops of water sizzle on a hot stove.
Sister Francella is preceded in death by her parents, John Jacob Gust and Frances Ann (Kotrba) Gust, her brothers Frank, Rudolph, Paul, Louis, Anthony, Eugene, Richard, Gerard, and her sister, Alice (Gust) Canterbury.
Surviving her are her brother Edward, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
A prayer service celebrating Sister Francella’s life were held on Wednesday, February 8, at 11:00 a.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial at 2:00 p.m. Both services were held at Sacred Heart Chapel of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
The Mass was live-recorded for later viewing on www.stenshoelhouske.com.
Gifts in honor of Sister Francella Gust may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, MN 56716.
Sister Adeline Karels, age 92, died on Sunday, November 6, 2022 at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.
Sister Adeline Karels was born March 25, 1930, the second of five children of Marcus and Katherine (Kelzer) Karels. Though her parents baptized her Joanne Kathryn, she was called Annie.
Annie attended Saint Joseph’s School in Rosen, where she admired Sister Bernarda, her eighth-grade teacher. Next she attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy, where she again esteemed her teachers.
At the age of eighteen, she entered the Sisters of Saint Benedict. She received the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Adeline on July 4, 1948. A year later on July 3, 1949, she made her first vows. She made final monastic profession on July 11, 1952. A few years later her sister, Sister Marmion, joined her as a member of the Sisters of Saint Benedict. Sister Adeline knew her not only as her sister but also as her best friend.
Sister Adeline served in the healthcare ministry for most of her adult life. She received her nurse’s training at Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD, and her anesthesia training at Saint Cloud Hospital School of Anesthesia.
Sister Adeline nursed as an RN at Saint Francis Hospital in Crookston. After receiving her anesthesia training, she served at Saint John’s Hospital in Browerville, Saint Mary’s Hospital in Detroit Lakes, and the Out-patient Surgery Center in Willmar. Upon retiring as an anesthetist, Sister Adeline found a second ministry making and decorating candles for sale in the Mount Saint Benedict candle department. After the candle department closed, she served as sacristan for the sisters’ chapel.
Sister Adeline said that the things she appreciated about monastic life at the Mount were the quiet atmosphere, the Liturgy of the Hours, times for reflection, family-style living and community celebrations.
Sister Adeline claimed that she received the hundredfold promised by Jesus to those who follow him. (Mark 10:30)
Sister Adeline was preceded in death by her parents, Marcus John Karels and Katherine Karels, and her siblings Eugene and Charles (Patricia) Karels. She is survived by Sister Marmion Karels and Richard (Arlene) Karels, many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
On Friday, November 11, a prayer service celebrating Sister Adeline’s life will be held at 11:00 a.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial at 2:00 p.m. Both services will be held at Sacred Heart Chapel of Mount Saint Benedict Monastery. The Mass will be live-recorded for later viewing on www.stenshoelhouske.com.
Gifts in honor of Sister Adeline may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, MN 56716.
The Mass of Christian Burial was livestreamed and can be viewed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.
Sister Rosella Dentz, age 98, died on September 30, 2022, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston, MN.
Sister Rosella, the first of five children of Albert Julius Dentz and Adelia Clare Laubach Dentz, was born September 5, 1924, into a loving, close, and strict Catholic family. She was baptized Rosella Julianna Dentz, in Saint Michael’s church, in Mahnomen, MN.
Rosella attended Saint Michael’s grade school until the school burned. She graduated from Cathedral High School in Crookston while living at Mount Saint Benedict.
Rosella found it challenging to leave home, but she wanted to be a sister. The Benedictines who taught her in grade school inspired her. She wrote, “I loved the sisters very much, and this love was nurtured by my parents.”
Rosella entered the Mount Saint Benedict community on January 1, 1942, and made her final monastic profession on July 11, 1947. She described her feelings on that day, “When I made my final vows, I thought I was close to heaven. I felt free and that now I could stay in the convent. I wasn’t going to be sent home.”
Sister Rosella wrote, “What appeals to me now as a Crookston Benedictine is the family spirit which is so cheerful. I also like the spirit of prayerfulness. The Benedictine life is so ordinary.” When asked what she considered her most significant accomplishment, she replied. “My greatest accomplishment in the community is trying to be a good teacher, especially of first grade. Thinking back on her life, she wrote, “I am most grateful for the good parents God gave me and for my vocation.”
Sister Rosella graduated from Viterbo College in LaCrosse, WI, with a bachelor’s degree and taught for many years in Red Lake Falls, Morehead, Detroit Lakes, Barnesville, Mahnomen, MN, as well as in Asherton, Texas. She usually taught the lower grades, and former students fondly remember her warmth and playfulness and the gerbils she kept in her classroom. After retiring from classroom teaching, she participated in the Foster Grandparent program in Mahnomen.
Sister Rosella stated, “It was exciting to go on my first mission, which was Saint Joseph’s School in Red Lake Falls, MN. It became almost a second home to me. I was there for ten years. I taught grades one to three, but the first grade was my favorite grade to teach. I loved the little ones; they were so close to God.”
Sister Rosella was very close to her family, and after retirement, she and her sister Mary Ann cared for their mother for many years. Her nieces Julie Pierce and Sheila Nudell visited her regularly at the Villa and stayed around the clock with her during her last ten days. Sister Rosella is preceded in death by her parents and her siblings Albert Jr., Gerald (June), Dolores (Gaylen) Nudell, and Mary Ann. She is survived by her sister-in-law June, her nieces and nephews and their children, and the Sisters of Saint Benedict.
Sister Rosella was remembered at a prayer service on Tuesday, October 4. Services were at Sacred Heart Chapel at Mount Saint Benedict, 620 Summit Avenue, Crookston, MN.
Gifts in honor of Sister Rosella may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, MN 56716.
The Mass of Christian Burial was livestreamed and can be viewed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.
Sister Paschal Martin, OSB, age 99, died on September 15, 2022, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston, MN.
Lyda Martin was born in Oslo, Minnesota, on June 27, 1923. Her father, John J. Martin, of German descent, came from Canada; her mother, Laura Iverson, was of Norwegian descent. Lyda, the youngest of fourteen children, went to a country elementary school and then attended Oslo High School. She arrived at Mount Saint Benedict in 1943, received the name Sister Paschal as a novice, and made her final profession on July 17, 1947.
Sister Paschal received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Saint Catherine in Saint Paul. Later she did graduate work at Mount Angel in Oregon. Her fourteen years as an elementary teacher were spent at Thief River Falls, Moorhead, Rosen, Mahtomedi, East Grand Forks, and Benson. She also taught Religious Education classes and worked with the migrant summer school program doing catechetical work. She mentioned that she enjoyed working with liturgy and helping with junior and senior high school retreats.
In 1977, Sister Paschal was serving as Coordinator of Religious Education at Saint Catherine of Siena Parish in Seattle, WA, when Father Richard Stohr asked her to live in Matthew House, a new venture sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. Located next to the Washington State Reformatory, it became a safe, nurturing place where wives, girlfriends, and children could stay while finding more permanent accommodations.
The word about Matthew House spread swiftly among the inmates, and a steady stream of families arrived at all hours, looking for a meal and help to find a place to stay. Besides providing food, clothing, and child care, Sister Paschal became a sympathetic confidante to the women. It bothered her that inmates ate three square meals daily while many of their families went hungry. But, she said, “Whatever the prisoners have done, you can’t punish the children and women because their husbands have gotten into trouble.”
While focusing on nurturing inmates’ families, she counseled prisoners during a weekly Friday night visit in the prison chapel. She could offer only sympathy and common-sense advice, but the inmates appreciated her efforts. After years of ministering to prisoners and their families, she returned to Mount Saint Benedict due to failing eyesight. She moved to the Summit Apartments and then Villa Saint Vincent, a long-term care facility.
Sister Paschal is preceded in death by her parents John J. Martin and Laura M. Iverson Martin; and siblings, including sisters Edna Paulson, Effie Michalski, Esther Jones, Dorothy Lafthus, Victoria, Leila Michalski, Maude Johnson, and Agnes Anvinson and brothers Fritz, Edward, Glen, John, and Casper Martin.
She is survived by many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
Gifts in honor of Sister Paschal may be given to Mount Saint Benedict Foundation, 620 Summit Ave., Crookston, MN 56716.
The Mass of Christian Burial was livestreamed and can be viewed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.
Sister Lorraine Kraft died on July 22, 2022, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.
Sister Lorraine was born on May 10, 1933, near Fisher, MN, the third of 15 children and the oldest daughter of Elizabeth (Wald) and Joseph Kraft. When she was a young child, the family moved to Pontiac, MI, where she started school at Saint Michael’s. They then moved to Karlsruhe, ND, and back to the Fisher area. Sister Lorraine appreciated her German-Russian heritage and took joy in cooking some of the ethnic foods she learned from her mother. However, one of her greatest joys was traveling with Sisters Cathi Merck and Anita Whalen and their family to Alsace-Lorraine and Ukraine to trace their family heritage, which, coincidentally, was the same as hers.
Lorraine attended Mount Saint Benedict Academy for high school, and during her senior year in 1951, she entered Mount Saint Benedict Monastery.
Benedictine life attracted Sister Lorraine because she “was inspired by the sisters’ prayer life and their loving example of kindness and support.”
Sister Lorraine earned a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Saint Benedict’s College in Saint Joseph, MN, and a Master’s degree in Elementary School Administration from Moorhead State University. For most of Sister Lorraine’s life, she served as a teacher and principal in Catholic schools. She started teaching in Slayton, MN, where the Sisters of Saint Benedict staffed a catechetical school. Sister Lorraine also served as either teacher or principal in the following schools:: Saint Joseph’s, Moorhead; Saint Francis, Moorhead; Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks; Assumption, Barnesville; Saint Philip’s, Bemidji; Saint Joseph’s, Rosen; Saint Vincent’s, Osseo; Saint Joseph’s, Red Lake Falls; and Crookston Catholic Elementary School.
In 1980, she received the opportunity to serve in Bogotà, Colombia as Colegio Santa Maria’s director, an all-girls school with close to 1000 students from primary grades through high school. This experience provided several unique challenges for Sister Lorraine. First, she did not speak Spanish and had to learn and use it quickly. Second, learning to live in a different culture presented some difficulties, but overall it was exciting and interesting. Third, she had to become acquainted with the Ministry of Education’s various requirements and ensure the school complied with them. Sister Lorraine has many fond memories of her time at Colegio Santa Maria. Though she left in 1983, Sister Lorraine has been invited back twice as a school guest.
After Sister Lorraine returned to the United States, she earned a master of arts degree in religious education from the School of Theology, Saint John’s University, Collegeville, MN.
Sister Lorraine’s life then took a turn when she became the Director of Religious Education at Holy Spirit Parish in Fargo, ND, and then the pastoral associate of Saint Rose of Lima Parish in Argyle.
In 1999, Sister Lorraine returned to the Mount as the Director of Mount Saint Benedict Center, a position she held until she became the liturgy assistant in 2012.
Sister Lorraine is preceded in death by her parents Elizabeth and Joseph Kraft, and by siblings: Leonard Kraft, William Kraft, John Kraft, Elizabeth Joanne Page, Jerome Kraft and brothers-in-law Bill Page, Bill Henry, and Jerry Pigarelli. She is survived by siblings: Rose Schmitz. Mary Ann Christopherson, Kenneth Kraft, Kathleen Henry, Karen Atkinson, Rita Pigarelli, Angie Kraft, James Kraft, Ronald Kraft — and by many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
The Mass of Christian Burial was livestreamed and can be viewed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.
Sister Agatha Hermann (93) died May 18, 2022, at Villa Saint Vincent in Crookston. She was the fourth child in a family of five. She was born July 1, 1928, on a farm near Georgetown, MN, and was baptized Angela.
Angela was the third person in her family to pursue religious life since two of her sisters entered Mount Saint Benedict in Crookston before she did.
After attending a two-room school in Georgetown, Angela enrolled at Mount Saint Benedict Academy for high school. She graduated in 1946, and on the Feast of the Assumption, August 15, she entered the monastery. Angela received both the Benedictine habit and the name Sister Agatha when she became a novice. Sister Agatha made first profession in 1948 and final profession in 1951.
Shortly after her first profession in 1948, she began her ministry in an elementary classroom, teaching fourth grade. Sister Agatha loved those early years and later enjoyed the challenge of teaching teenagers in junior high at Saint Joseph’s School in Moorhead. She especially had a passion for teaching mathematics and social studies. Sister Agatha taught at Saint Joseph’s, Moorhead; Saint Joseph’s Red Lake Falls; Holy Rosary, Detroit Lakes; Saint Francis, Moorhead; Saint Jude’s, Mahtomedi; and Sacred Heart, East Grand Forks.
Summers included teaching religious education in rural parishes. In addition, Sister Agatha spent several summers with the migrant school in Moorhead. After 53 years of teaching and administration, she retired from the education profession and then worked as a volunteer in Pastoral Care at Villa Saint Vincent.
Her “ora and labora” life also held time for leisure. She and her classmates, Sister Laurian, Sister Mary Jean, and Sister Alexine made a two-week tour of Benedictine women’s and men’s monasteries one summer. They were particularly impressed with Saint Mary’s in Pennsylvania, where Benedictine life for women in the United States began under Mother Benedicta Riepp. The sisters visited Niagara Falls and did other sightseeing, packing a lot into two weeks.
Sister Agatha enjoyed leisurely pursuits such as reading and puzzles, and from her early years, she delighted in being outdoors and gardening. Sister Agatha looked forward to her retirement because it freed her to pray, be present to the sisters, and take part in community life – a fruitful conclusion to a life well-spent.
Sister Agatha was preceded in death by her parents Andrew A. and Delia (Denery) Hermann and her siblings: Andrew L. Hermann, Sister Petronilla Hermann, Sister Olivia Hermann, and Helen (Jack) Lutgens. She is survived by many nieces and nephews and the Sisters of Saint Benedict.
The Mass of Christian Burial was livestreamedand can be viewed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.
Sister Brian Wild, age 91, died on May 8, 2022, at Villa Saint Vincent, Crookston.
On November 12, 1930, Sister Brian was born in Fargo, North Dakota, the sixth of eight children of Edward George Wild, Sr. and Dorothy Daggett Wild. She was given the name Barbara Louise Wild at her baptism.
She obtained a bachelor of science degree in secondary education in 1957 from Mayville State Teacher’s College, Mayville, ND, and taught in the Moorhead Public School System.
Barbara entered the Benedictine community on August 15, 1961, and she received the Benedictine habit and the name of Sister Brian on July 2, 1962. Sister Brian made temporary vows on July 11, 1963, and final monastic profession on July 11, 1968.
Sister Brian served as a mathematics instructor and a part-time librarian at Mount Saint Benedict Academy in Crookston, a physics and mathematics teacher at Sacred Heart High School in East Grand Forks, a mathematics teacher at Shanley High School in Fargo, ND, and a fifth-grade teacher at Saint Joseph’s School in Moorhead. In 1990, Sister Brian moved to the Mount and took up the responsibility for purchasing, maintenance, and security. In addition, if a sister wanted anything, she could go into Sister Brian’s office and receive anything sisters had turned in to her: watches, tools, office supplies, and numerous other items, including all kinds of batteries. It is impossible to surpass the organization of minutiae in Sister Brian’s office. And, she knew the location of everything!
Sister Brian loved the challenge of jigsaw puzzles, and she could often be seen putting one together. She was also an avid card player.
Sister Brian is preceded in death by her parents: Edward George Wild Sr. and Dorothy Daggett Wild, and siblings: Edward George Wild, Jr., Peter Wild, Rev. David Wild, Robert Wild, Joyce Mattson (Melvin), and Dorothy Johnson (Emery). She is survived by Sister Moira Wild, OSB of Saint Benedict’s Monastery in Saint Joseph, MN, many nieces and nephews, and the Sisters of Saint Benedict of Crookston.
The Mass of Christian Burial was livestreamed and can be viewed by going to her web page at www.stenshoelhouske.com and clicking on the prompt to view.