Born on a farm near Roscoe, Minn., Sister Berno spent one year at Saint Benedict’s High School before economic hardship forced her to return home. She never forgot her time at Saint Benedict’s, and every time she drove by she would say, “I am going to go there someday.”

Seventy-five years ago, she made her way back. Though she still refers to her family farm as “our farm,” S. Berno has truly loved her Benedictine life. After joining the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict, she received her training as a nurse at St. Alexius Hospital in Bismarck, N.D., and earned advanced degrees in nursing from St. Louis University. She served as both director and teacher in several schools of nursing. Janice Wedl, OSB, recalls that S. Berno seemed cut out for her work. “A very gentle woman, she was an excellent nurse and teacher.”

“Once a nurse, always a nurse” seemed to be her motto. If she knew someone was in pain or needed nursing attention, she was there, and she was often called upon to take Sisters to the doctor or the hospital. Until recently, She lived at Saint Benedict’s Monastery and participated in the Liturgy of the Hours as a prayer leader or lector. She now lives at Saint Scholastica Convent in St. Cloud. S. Berno’s life in the monastic community has been a blessing to her fellow Sisters. “She is a joy to all who know her,” Wedl said.