Benedictine
Sisters, Monastery of St. Gertrude, Cottonwood, Idaho
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St. Martin’s Dedicates New Wing of the Dining Hall
On September 10, 2004, St. Martin’s Abbey dedicated the new wing of their dining hall in honor of the Sisters of St. Benedict from The monastery of St. Gertrude. It was named St. Gertrude’s Dining Hall. In response to Abbot Neal’s invitation to come and celebrate this dedication, Sisters Wilma Schlangen, Connie Sonnen, Bernice Wessels, Angela Uhlorn, Clarissa Goeckner, and Mary Kay Henry went to St. Martin’s. Sister Wilma Schlangen was one of the many sisters who worked in the culinary department. The other sisters had attended college there between 1960 and 1968. In remembrance of our St. Martin’s connection, Father John Scott presented his book, This Place Called St. Martin’s 1895-1995 to each sister attending the dedication. The St. Martin’s monks extended very warm hospitality. While there the sisters were welcomed into the monastic dining room for a lavish banquet as well as all the other meals. They also joined with the monks for liturgy. Response given to St. Martin’s Abbey and College on the occasion of the blessing of the St. Gertrude Dining Room at the collegeSeptember 10, 2004. On behalf of Sister Jean Lalande, our Prioress, and our whole community, I am privileged and delighted to say Thank You for the profound gesture of gratitude you monks and the college community are extending today for the friendship and work of the sisters who cooked and sewed here for 55 years. The three of them still living are Sister Wilhemina (Wilma) who is here with us this evening, Sister Leona (Theresa Mary) and Sister Madeleine (Theresa). The fountain of your characteristic hospitality remains with these sisters as a mental snapshot of Father James, the Prior, coming for an informal visit with them each week, and usually enhancing that visit with a box of candy. It is especially appropriate that we celebrate the dedication of The St. Gertrude Dining Room with you this year since it marks 100 years of the friendship and support which have developed between our two communities from the time the sisters first came here until today. This mutual friendship continued to flourish as others of us studied and taught here and Sister Cecile served as Campus Minister. We have been profoundly called to fuller life by the inspiration, collaboration and support we experienced from you. Who you monks and the larger St. Martin’s community are and what you do have challenged us to be ever more fully alive morally, intellectually, and spiritually and to give the best of our gifts in service to our world. This evening we remember your monks who strengthened the bond between us by serving as our chaplains: the first Father Alfred, Father Dominic, Father Vincent, Father Alphonse, and Father Fabian who was chaplain at our hospital in Cottonwood, and always the first to greet us when we arrived here at St. Martin’s for summer school. Grounded with you in mutually cherished Benedictine tradition, we say Thank You for your lives and ministries that bring about the reign of God. We pray that God will continue to bless you abundantly and grant you the deepest desires of your hearts. May we have another 100 years of seeking God together. Our history with St. Martin’s goes back 100 years. The following is from the pen of our historian Sister Alfreda Elsensohn. On May 30, 1904, at the urgent request of the Very Reverend Prior Oswald, three sisters were sent to take care of the culinary department at St. Martin’s College. Mother Johanna Zumstein, Sister Meinrada Hartle, and Sister Walburga Ambuehl were the pioneers. Work was so plentiful that they had little time left to be homesick. They soon got used to their work and new surroundings and felt cheerful and happy. The Fathers as well as the students soon found the difference in the bill of fare and highly praised the work of the Sisters. At that time the priests of the diocese made their annual retreat at the monastery, and the annual retreat for laymen had also been started. The Sisters cooked for both these groups. The monastery and the Sisters’ residence were both only frame buildings. The latter was an oblong square two-story building. The good Fathers at once offered to provide a Chapel and a Chaplain for the Sisters and the privilege of having the Blessed Sacrament reserved. A room was arranged for the purpose and thereafter daily Holy Mass was celebrated in the Sisters’ Chapel. After two months the Sisters were joined by a fourth Sister, Sister Xavier Wieber who was to do the sewing and the mending. As in every beginning, their days were replete with trying but humorous circumstances and experiences. Adjoining the kitchen was an old fashioned bake oven which the sisters had to use. A good-natured Frenchman helped with the heavy work in the kitchen and when the bread was done he insisted on taking it out with a long-handled cedar scoop. Carrying it over to the table he simply turned it over like pancakes much to Sister Meinrada’s alarm at first. “You’ll spoil the bread!” she would exclaim. Sister Meinrada soon discovered that she could use the oven for roasting chicken if she put it in the oven the night before which lightened her labors. The Sisters recall how eager the boys were for the weenies and hot pancakes which were served rather frequently in those days. One boy who lived in Olympia was asked one week end which he spent at home what he would like for supper and answered “pancakes.” Sister Ignatius was able to run out forty baking powder pancakes per minute. The boys would dump the contents on the table and send out for more before the first were eaten. The Sisters have continued their work without interruption at Lacey but the
number of Sisters has increased to thirteen. In the meantime another college
building and another Sisters’ residence have replaced the pioneer buildings. From the Chronicle of St. Gertrude’s: Sisters Theresa Mary (Leona) Stroeing, Wilma (Wilhelmina) Schlangen and Theresa (Madeleine) Dvorak are the only ones still living at this time. (September ‘04) 1959 - June 15 The Sisters came home from St. Martin’s. We no longer will have chaplains from there although Father Alphonse Fuchs is still ill in our hospital. After 55 years at St. Martin’s, Abbot Raphael Heider gave a Gift of $20 x 55 years. Vocations through contact with St. Martin’s: Sisters Methodia Slivnik, Frowina Hack, Irmengard Hack, Meinrada Tinney, and Roberta Louck. From the Archives: September 2004 |
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