She was in the 73rd year of her religious profession. While in Cedar Rapids, Sister Anita began doing youth ministry in the parish and vocation education in the congregation. Sister Joan was received into the FSPA novitiate on August 12, 1957, and was given the name Sister Vernamae. Born on June 20, 1939, in Festina, Iowa, Joan Marie was the youngest of Nicholas and Rosalia Imoehl Hagemans 11 children. Come enjoy the day with a round of golf and support the Sisters' ministries. Sister Lydia preferred physical outdoor work, like herding cattle and pumping water, over housework. She served for 67 years as a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration. In 2000, another transition occurred in her life when she moved to volunteer in the finance office and kitchen at St. Rose Convent. At another time, the house burned down and the family was split among relatives and friends until they acquired a new farm house a few miles away. Before retiring to St. Rose Convent in 2006, Sister Margaret also volunteered at Immaculate Conception School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The seeds of being a Sister and a teacher were planted in those early years. After high school, Sister Helen completed coursework at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing and served as an RN at St. Marys Hospital, Sparta, Wisconsin. She attributed her good health to the daily walks/runs to the hermitages located on the Villa property. She entered St. Rose Convent in 1944 and professed vows in 1947. The Bernardine Center Times Summer 2018. They desired to transfer from the congregation and become members of the Franciscan . She always had a funny story to tell. Sister Anita returned to California with her grandparents and stayed with them, beginning school there. Her personality radiated compassion. She often talked about her wonderful five years in Guam, where she would say she learned more from her high school students than she probably taught them. She ministered at St. Anthonys Hospital, Carroll, Iowa, Sacred Heart Hospital, Idaho Falls, Idaho, and was Medical and Surgical Instructor at St. Francis Hospital School of Nursing, La Crosse. Her motto of living life in union with Christ was evident in her recent celebration of her 70th jubilee. She specifically enjoyed cat sitting while family and friends would go on vacation. She was in the 66th year of her religious profession. Eventually she was able to recruit an alumna to continue her work when she left. From her mother, she learned the importance of family as well as the artistry and necessities of cooking, cleaning, sewing and gardening. In 2018, with her health failing, she moved to Villa St. Joseph. While she spent 18 years in parish ministry, she would not be able to say she loved it more or less than her years teaching. Sister Denise Streng, OSF . She taught for 33 years in elementary schools in Iowa, Washington, Oregon and Wisconsin. Sister Jean maintained connection with her foreign exchange brother and sister throughout her life, even visiting them abroad. Obituary Sr. Miriam Sitarz OSF Sister Miriam, 100, a sister for 84 years, died June 3, 2017 at Mary, Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. After the high school in Lansing closed, she remained there as a religious education teacher for two more years. Active nonviolence is a creative power for good available to everyone. When her health began to deteriorate, she moved to South Hill Village in Spokane. Felician Sisters of North America Home Page. She passed to her eternal reward on September 7, 2020. She was in the sixty-seventh year of her religious profession. After 13 years as a classroom teacher, Sister Patricia took courses at the Center for Pastoral Ministry in Kansas City and then moved into parish ministry in Davenport, Iowa, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Kansas City, Missouri. Martina Mary was born the fourth oldest of 13 children, seven sons and six daughters, to Henry and Helen (Julich) Stork on January 30, 1916 on a farm near Breda, Iowa. Sister Rita entered the FSPA community in September 1952. Her parents moved to Chile five months after they were married. She served as a program assistant at Cabrini House in Minneapolis for 14 years. Two years later, with the restructuring of the congregation, she was elected Regional Leader of the FSPA Western Region (1985-1993) located in Spokane. She continued these activities until her health began to fail. In her first year in community, she was Co-Director for the La Crosse Diocese Hispanic Ministry. Almost every day at St. Rose Convent, Sister Gertrude could be found in the Adoration Chapel praying for her family, friends, religious community and, of course, the needs of the world. While in that locale, Sister Lois was a regular volunteer at the Mississippi Market Coop, doing most any task needed. A second sister, Kathy, was born following the familys return to the States. She often said that her work in development began when she was teaching at Fr. After a years sabbatical, Sister Kathleen volunteered at Villa Maria Retreat Center in Frontenac, Minnesota,then returned tothe Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse. She worked in the dietary department at St. Francis Hospital (MCHS-FH) 1977 to 1981. Creativity and Franciscanism went hand-in-hand for her. She and her siblings enjoyed the ride to school in their carriage in the spring and fall and on the bobsled in the winter. She attended Glenrose Public Grade School, just a half mile from her home, until her graduation from eighth grade. She then became Vice-President of Student Development from 1997 to 2005. Community members, family and friends, remember Sister Jean as someone that always loved life in any of its aspects. She made her first profession of vows on August 12, 1961. Black History Month: Hope Restores extends a challenge. JEREMIAH COLLINS OBITUARY. While at Viterbo, Sister Jean volunteered at the federal prison at Oxford, Wisconsin as a retreat leader, mentor and friend to inmates. Franciscan Sister Elaine Urbanek passes away December 27, 2022, at the age of 99 years. She didnt enter religious life until after high school; ultimately, joining her aunt and cousin at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse. She often said that religious life was an extension of a gift that was nurtured in her home. August 15, 1930 July 18, 2022, by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jul 11, 2022 | Franciscan Sisters News, LCWR, Obituaries, SISTER ANGELITA LAWS, OSF In high school she was engaged in one-act plays and glee club. Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, submitted the following from "the earliest materials in our archives." "During the early 1860s, Father Pamfilo had taken under his care four Sisters in the Congregation of the Holy Cross at St. Mary (Notre Dame), Indiana. Sister Margaret Schmolke, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 96, died on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at Villa St. Joseph in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Her smile and hearty laugh were both infectious. She loved her time and the people there and the people loved her. Sister Pat was known for the rapport she had with students and the quality of performance she was able to elicit from them. Upon graduating from high school, Sister Jean attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and earned a bachelors degree in secondary education with a concentration in Spanish. Sister Rita Marie was born the eighth of 14 children to Mathias and Emma (Dettling) Bechel on March 6, 1925, on a farm near Plum City, Wisconsin. Donna Jean Weber was born on April 25, 1930, to Reynold and Laura (Asher) Weber in Eau Galle, Wisconsin. She didnt let her physical infirmities bring her spirits down. Fast. In 1977 her ministry took her to St. Joseph School in Prescott, Wisconsin, as a first-grade teacher, choir director and organist. Community members, family and friends remember Sister Evelyn as a lively, generous person. Then in a flash of light on Independence Day, she was set free. Born on November 26, 1925, in Buckman, Minnesota, Sister Margaret was the seventh of 12 children of John and Pauline (Beka) Schmolke. On August 15, 1939, after graduating from eighth grade, she fulfilled that desire. December 2, 2022. Sister Dorothy Ann, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 81, died on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, at HospiceMinistries in Ridgeland, Mississippi, where she had been chaplain for many years. She also taught in Blackfoot, Idaho and St. Paul, Iowa. In eighth grade she shared her call with her parents, who were very supportive. Sewing was one of her hidden talents. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in English from Viterbo College (University) and an MS in Education from Xavier University in Cincinnati. During her eight years there, she earned a Master of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans. During that time, she took additional bookkeeping courses at Indiana University. Then, making a change in her career, Sister Agnes worked with abused children at Casa de Esperanza de Los Ninos, Houston, Texas, for five years and one year at Catholic Charities in El Paso, Texas, in emergency services. She received a bachelors degree in business education with a minor in English from Viterbo College (University), then continued in the field of business at Mount St. Mary College in Milwaukee, College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota, Indiana University and Notre Dame University. She made her home at St. Rose Convent in 2006 and moved to Villa St. Joseph in 2015 when her health began to fail. She received her call to be a Franciscan Sister at a young age, and loved being a Franciscan Sister of Our by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | May 6, 2020 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. We bring the presence of the loving, serving, compassionate, healing Jesus to all people, especially those who are lonely . Hope Restores, an FSPA Seeding a Legacy of Healing grant recipient and La Crosse-based . Sister Ceciliennes ministry was in the area of music. During her third year in college, she was offered a position at the Spokesman-Review newspaper as a reporter. At her golden jubilee in 2015, Sister Patricia noted that she had walked with more than 200 young women in her membership ministry. She attended Mount Carmel Catholic School, which included elementary and secondary classes. Sister Helen served her FSPA community as Director of Nursing at Villa St. Joseph 1964 to 1965, prior to completing her Masters Degree in nursing education at Columbia University in New York City, New York from 1965 to 1967. Her older brother, Father Joel, OFM, and her sibling, Sister Thomasine, OSF, were great influences in her choice. High school years at St. Marys were filled with the usual high school activities including babysitting and working on crafts. For 25 years Sister Pat taught music in elementary and secondary schools in Iowa (Carroll, West Point, Bellevue) and Wisconsin (La Crosse, Prairie du Chien, Durand, Jefferson, Ashland, Jefferson). Sister Gale was baptized Lucille Michaeline, the name given by her parents Victoria and Lucian Bednarek, at St. Joseph's Church in Chicago by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jul 27, 2021 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis is an evangelical community of Franciscan women called to observe with loving and generous hearts the holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to The Rule and Life of the Brothers and Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis. She would often talk about her wonderful years at Glacier Park, where nature was a natural yearning of connection and communion with the earth and God. She could name everyone in her family down to the third and fourth generations. During that time, she completed a Master of Arts in Music Education from DePaul University, Chicago. Her family moved to a farm near West Point, Iowa when she was in the primary grades. She was so well-known at Glacier Park for her pies that an Associated Press journalist wrote about her in an article that appeared across the country. Sister Betty learned all the skills she needed to be mothers helper: cooking, sewing, baking. Her family was very important to her. After high school graduation, she felt a call to join the FSPA. As boarders, Sister Margaret and Helen got home one weekend a month. After her class of six boys and six girls graduated from the eighth grade, she spent the next year at home helping her parents. She was in her fifty-second year of religious profession. Her life will be celebrated with a Mass of Resurrection Friday, September 23. by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jul 21, 2022 | Franciscan Sisters News, LCWR, Obituaries, SISTER CAROLYN MRUZ, OSF Judith attended St. Louis School in Batesville, and later when her family moved to a farm on Shrine Road, she attended Holy Family School in Oldenburg before enrolling at Oldenburg Academy. Sister Margaret Ann made first profession of vows on August 12, 1948 and final vows on August 9, 1954. At her baptism, she was named after her paternal aunt, Sister Lydia Wendl. She attended a country school until grade six, when her parents, wanting to draw on the value of a Catholic education, enrolled her at St. Anns School in Wabasso, Minnesota. Before them was a newly-unveiled 7-foot bronze statue of Sister Mary Virgilius Reidy, one of their own. She lived very simply and felt relationships were more important than material things. Mary Jane was born to Raymond and Stella (Bien) Misura on Dec. 16, 1933, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In 1976, Sister Joan transitioned to the ministry of activities director at Villa St. Joseph, a post she held until 1983. Praying to Mary helped her make the decision about religious life. Pat attended St. Gabriels Grade School and St. Marys Academy both staffed by the Notre Dame Sisters. Sister Ladonna Kassmeyer, FSPA, 84, died Monday night, August 3, 2020, of a massive heart attack at Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, La Crosse, Wisconsin. She was in the sixty-first year of her religious profession. On June 9, 1958, God did give her a call. Coming to us from Dayton, Ohio, Sister Loraine entered the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in 1950 and professed perpetual vows in 1955. In Iowa she taught at St. Lawrence School and Kuemper High School, Carroll, as well as in Breda, West Point and Spencer. Sister Margaret was received into the novitiate on August 12, 1946, and was given the name Sister Mary Joel. Her mission life there shaped her concept of community and service. Sister Joselda served her Sisters as a homemaker and housekeeper from 1948 to 1992 in Durand,Boscobel and La Crosse in Wisconsin and Coon Rapids, Iowa, with the last 15 years at her home parish in St. Lucas, where she also was able to assist her elderly mother. After three years in that position she resigned, was married and began raising her five children: Marianne, George, Pat, Susan and Tom. The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, is a community of Roman Catholic women religious who follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, walking in the footsteps of Saints Francis and Clare of Assisi. Sisters Gertrude, Pelligrina, and Costanza arrived in New York City on Dec. 5 and were given hospitality at St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street. At its peak, the motherhouse was home to 700 nuns. Viterbo College called her back in 1974, again as a bookkeeper. In 1997, Sister Cecilienne retired to Cedar Rapids where she taught ESL classes and private music lessons until moving to St. Rose Convent in 2009. She was instrumental in expanding student life programming since, at the time, the college was rapidly growing its enrollment of lay students. She saw beauty in creation and in people. For the next five years, Sister Helen served as a staff nurse at St. Rose Convent Health Center. Florence Catherine was born on September 26, 1923, to Frank and Dorothy (Tritz) Goetz in Bellevue, Iowa. Her mother called her Betty because she did not want her to be called Lizzie or Liz. On September 9, 1921, Sister Rosile was born to Kilian and Katherine (Hertert) Pernsteiner on a farm near Spokane, Washingon. Her creativity was expressed there in numerous ways, especially at times of the many holidays and feast days celebrated there as she decked the halls with flowers gleaned from the garden. Sister Evelyn was born on January 12, 1934, the seventh of eight children to Harold and Eva (Hamses) Schlosser in Yakima, Washington. 1943-2018 Our dear Sister Maria Tessari went home to the Lord on January 16. She taught in Wisconsin at Platteville (1962-65), Blessed Sacrament School in La Crosse (1966-70 and 1977-79) and Dodgeville (1973-77) also serving as principal. Proudly created with Wix.com. She attended Sacred Heart Grade School there, taught by the FSPA. She kept close contact with family, former students and friends via letters and phone calls, even visiting her adopted Greene family in Texas in her 100s. (formerly Sister William Anne) died. She loved her family and visited them in Washington state as often as possible. She continued there as a sacristan until 2015 when her health declined. The twinkle in her eyes made one wonder what she was planning next. Posted on March 1, 2023 February 6, 2023. Her final days of retirement were at Villa St. Joseph. It is here that her spirit was touched by the Franciscan by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Aug 30, 2018 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. The children would often ask their mother for a picnic supper on hot summer days. The Franciscan Sisters of Chicago are happy to announce the 13th annual Swinging for the Sisters Golf Outing will be on June 15th at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club in Lemont, Illinois. She made first profession of vows on August 12, 1952. Sister Patricia Tekippe, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, died on December 25, 2022 at 11:20 am. It was difficult and terrifying at first and then she fell in love with it. Sister Agnes served her community as a homemaker in convent homes in Iowa, Mississippi, Washington and Wisconsin for thirty years. While at Marquette, sheplayed the organ at Gesu Parish and after retiring from teaching English, she ministered as receptionist at the parish until she moved to St. Rose Convent in December of 2016. Family, friends and community members remember Sister Mary Myron as a woman of prayer. Always interested in finding out what she could do to make life better for others, she was quick to recognize the goodness in others and reinforce it. From 2016 to 2019, Sister Jean was back at Viterbo University teaching classes in Franciscan Traditions and Values. Marie was received into the novitiate on August 12, 1943, and given the name Sister Rita Marie. In 1994, she moved to Mobile, Alabama and ministered as a teachers aide and resource teacher for eight years before retiring to St. Rose Convent in 2002. She always sought to make life better for others. For almost 30 years she ministered in junior and senior high schools as a teacher and principal in Wisconsin, Washington, Guam and Montana. Sister Rita then worked at Henry Field Store in Storm Lake as a salesperson and typist until 1952. And that she did; she worked for five years for a local newspaper (The Spokesman Review), advancing to an assistant bookkeeper. With her graduate degree in hand, she began teaching Spanish at Woodstock High School in Woodstock, Illinois. Sister Agnes was received into the novitiate on August 12, 1951 and was given the name Sister Ella. Because of her keen eye, one could also count on Sister Patricia to know the latest on political issuesand to encourage prayer and political action. She made profession of first vows on August 12, 1954. Over the years, Sister Rosile served on the board of directors for several health care institutions, including St. Francis Hospital, St. Anthony Regional Hospital in Carroll, Iowa and St. Joseph Hospital in Hillsboro, Wisconsin. Franciscan Spirituality; Franciscan Charism Modules; Franciscan Charism Team; History; Land Ethic; Leadership Team; . She professed her first vows as an FSPA on August 12, 1965. She also served from 1962 to 1977 as assistant housekeeper at Viterbo College (University). They have responded to a call to incarnate the Good News, taking on Jesus . For family and friends unable to attend in-person funeral celebrations, FSPA offers live streaming. Her profession of vows was made on August 12, 1959, and final profession on August 10, 1964. She received a BA in chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Viterbo College (University) and an MS in chemistry from Notre Dame. Mangaluru, Oct 18: The provincial Ursuline Franciscan Sisters had their VIII Province Chapter in Shanthi Dham Provincialate, Derlakatte from October 17 to 21 on the theme 'Ursuline Franciscan Sisters: Commissioned to Launch into the Deep'. There was always a twinkle in her eye and a story on her lips. Sister was 93 years of age and had been a Sister of St. Francis for 70 years. . After profession in 1943, Sister went to St. Veronica's in Greenwich Village for three months, then taught at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs School in New . The following year she entered the community. She was quite an artist; doing beautiful rosemaling and also oil paintings and water colors which can be found around the Villa. She later went back to her baptismal name. At her baptism, she was given the name Marie Magdalen. She used her many talents to write parodies for celebrations at St. Rose Convent and at Villa St. Joseph. Franciscan Sister News Franciscan News and Events. Joanne received her early education at St. Joseph Grade School in Spokane and graduated from eighth grade at St. Aloysius Grade School. What a thrill it was for Florence to play for Christmas Midnight Mass and Easter Sunday High Mass. She also attended the Theological Institute at St. Norberts College over the course of several summers. Its great to be Irish, she would proudly proclaim. From 1980 to 1981, Sister Helen ministered as a nurse in Larned, Kansas. She served as principal in both Carroll (St. Lawrence School) and Calmar. Even though she experienced permanent injury from a jeep accident while in Africa, she did not let that stop her from being of service to others. Her musical productions were outstanding. She ministered in the field of education, oftenalso serving as an organist and choir director. She then moved to Villa St. Joseph in 2012. Sister Gertrude served her FSPA community as a homemaker in convent homes in Iowa, Washington and Wisconsin from 1948 to 1965. In 1933, she was received into the novitiate of the FSPA and was given the name, Sister Mary Myron. Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania Ohio 6832 Convent Blvd. Subsequently, she left the classroom and served as dental assistant for 11 years in St. Paul, Minnesota. As the religious sisters from Our Lady of the Angels Convent in Tenafly admired . Later, after finishing her third year of high school, she asked again. by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Dec 29, 2022 | Franciscan Sisters News, LCWR, Obituaries, Uncategorized. She once commented that she thought she learned how to rip the same afternoon she learned how to sew. She was in her 37th year of religious profession. She grew up on the family farm with her two brothers and three sisters, getting into to use her words all the mischief we could imagine.. Founded in 1988 to renew the contemplative dimension of the form of life of the early Franciscan penitents, we are a contemplative-active community of religious women who have given our lives to glorify God and make known His merciful Love through prayer and works of mercy. Gertrude was the youngest player on the basketball team when they won the Archdiocese of Dubuque tournament. She went on to teach for eight years in Calmar, Iowa, and then in Wisconsin in Genoa, St. Marys Ridge and La Crosse (St. Michaels Orphanage) before earning a Bachelor of Arts in Occupational Therapy from St. Catherine University in St. Paul. From 1985 to 2005, she served as a remedial teacher at David School, a small alternative high school in the coal-mining hills of Kentucky. Sister Margaret Ann ministered as an elementary school teacher for 47 years throughout Wisconsin (Eau Galle, Mondovi, Odanah, Ashland, Eau Claire, Edgar, Athens, Superior and Ashland), as well as Blackfoot, Idaho and Milford, Iowa. Read more. By then it was evident to her parents that her desire to be a sister had not diminished, but had grown stronger and they allowed her to enter St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsinon August 15, 1940. She attended Holy Family Grade School and DePadua High School. Catherine was received into the novitiate on August 12, 1942, and was given the name Sister Rosile. Having a sister (SisterMildred Weber, FSPA) and several other relatives in the FSPA community sparked the idea of a vocation in Donna. One of her favorite quotes was, God does not ask us to be successful, but to be faithful. And faithful, she was as she visited and brought communion to the sick and elderlyeven organizing a potluck luncheon for seniors at her Las Vegas parish each month for 17 years. Her adoration was always the first priority in her day while at St. Rose Convent. Sister Clara Mae then returned to St. Michaels Orphanage to serve as a registered therapist. Community members, family and friends remember Sister Rosile as always having a smile for everyone. Instead, she worked at Kaufer Catholic Bookstore in Spokane, then enrolled at Holy Names College (Fort Wright College) with a major in journalism and a minor in dramatics. In 1972, Sister Michon and her younger sister, Sister Rosemary, FSPA, spent a couple of weeks in England, Ireland and Scotland with their parents reinforcing her Irish heritage. She loved her family and had made an extensive family tree. Possessing excellent office skills, she was tapped for clerical work at Viterbo College (University) from 1962 to 1966. Sister Bernadette Prochaska, FSPA, 88, died Wednesday morning, January 6, 2021 of pancreatic cancer at St. Rose Convent, La Crosse, Wisconsin. She then moved back to La Crosse where she was a nursing instructor at Viterbo College (University) School of Nursing from 1981 to 1984. Thereafter, sheserved as Healthcare Province Representative on the General Board, Coordinator of Formation at Healthcare House of Studies, and Provincial of FSPA Healthcare Province from 1972 to 1979. Sister Victoria, born by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jun 10, 2021 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. As the Shakal family grew, they eventually moved to a larger farmhouse, close to Holy Family School in Stanley where Sister Betty completed her elementary education. Twelve years later, the small group of sisters established their Motherhouse in Reading, Pennsylvania. Their honeymoon was to travel west to bring Sister Anita back home and reunite the family. For several summers, Sister Bernadette served as lecturer at the University of Hawaii, Honolulu and Cardinal Stritch College (University) in Milwaukee. Whether the need is for short- or long-term, our caring, trained personnel are here to help. Sister Kathleen taught at the high school level for the next 11 years in Cathedral (Superior, Wisconsin), Kuemper (Carroll, Iowa), Aquinas (La Crosse), Marquette (West Point, Iowa) and Marquette (Bellevue, Iowa). When Sister Clara Mae entered the novitiate of the FSPA she was given the name Bernadine. After suffering a mild stroke in 2014, she moved to St. Rose Convent. Sister Karolyne Rohlik, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 87 died of natural causes on May 17, 2020 at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. She was in the sixty-eighth year of her religious profession. She professed first vows on August 12, 1952. Sister Lois Lobdell, FSPA, 97, died Thursday, August 27, 2020, of natural causes at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse. She later returned to her baptismal name. In 1981, Sister Bernadette moved to Milwaukee where she ministeredas an instructor, associate professor, professor and assistant dean of the English department at Marquette Universityover 36 years. By the time she graduated, it had become Regis High School. Carmel, Sister Rita began thinking about ministering in a different environment. She was in the68thyear of her religious profession. The Rev. She loved life and the gifts God gave her during each phase of life. Sister Valerie Lemansky, age 90, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, passed away on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at Holy Family Convent, Manitowoc. In 2007, she moved to Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, ministering as a volunteer to the community until 2019. There is a picture of the Crucified Christ and beneath it is the following statement: Behold the book of the Chosen, behold the school of .