For Sister Mary, religious life was in her genes. “I grew up with it,” she said. Four of her aunts were Sisters; her two older sisters, Leonore and Margaret, joined Saint Benedict’s before her; and two of her brothers became priests.

Born in St. Martin, Minn., Sister Mary went to high school in Paynesville and then worked for two years out of high school before beginning to see that she might have a religious vocation. “After I got [to the monastery], it didn’t take long, and I knew it was the right fit.”

After finishing her education degree at the College of Saint Benedict, S. Mary launched into a 15-year teaching career. She taught at St. Paul’s, St. Mary’s, St. Michael’s and Holy Family.  During the summers, she worked on a master’s in religious education, and began teaching it (She began teaching religious education) in 1976. The students found her quite capable: While preparing for First Reconciliation, “one of the little guys said, ‘Sister, you could be our priest.’”

In 1984, she became a special religious education consultant for the Diocese of St. Cloud. She began working at the Chancery Office six years later, and she has remained there. At the Chancery, she has served as a secretary, receptionist, director of Pastoral Associate Program and assistant chancellor.