For 56 years, Sister Mary Willette, a School Sister of Notre Dame, served as a teacher. Although she retired from teaching in 2023, she now volunteers as a mentor for staff at an elementary school, serves on the board of East Side Learning Center in St. Paul, visits people in memory care and prays for needs of the world.
Sister Mary is just one of hundreds of women religious in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis who perform essential — yet often hidden — ministries.
“We don’t seek attention, and we don’t have the expectation of attention,” Sister Mary said. “Sisters do so much in the archdiocese and in other parts of the world that is sometimes just not recognized.”
Nicole Bettini, consecrated virgin and delegate for consecrated life for the archdiocese, decided to bring women religious to the fore as part of Catholic Sisters Week, a nationwide initiative to honor women religious and their work.
“Fifty-two weeks a year, women religious stand with the poor and immigrants, teach children, fight injustice, heal the sick, share spirituality, empower women, defend the planet, promote peace, create community (and) offer hope,” the national website for the week states. “But for one week, March 8-14, we shine the spotlight on women religious and encourage a wide range of campaigns and events that invite all who follow Jesus.”
Locally, Catholic Sisters Week will be celebrated by a video series featuring 12 sisters, including Sister Mary, who live and work in the archdiocese. One video will be released on archdiocesan social media every day of Catholic Sisters Week. They will remain on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis website at archspm.org as a resource for individuals, Catholic schools, faith formation programs and youth ministries.
“I want to help tell the stories of consecrated men and women,” said Bettini, who initiated the video series. “It could be a resource for parishes but also for individuals (discerning religious life).”
Sister Leann Luecke, 32, who has been a sister with the Peru-based order Pro Ecclesia Sancta (PES) for nine and a half years, is a native of Iowa who now lives in the Sacred Heart convent in Bloomington. She said that she is thankful for technology as a means of spreading the Gospel and the sisters’ testimony to it.
“It is great that the Church is able to really take advantage of all the technology and the opportunities that the world offers (and) to use those things to really convey God’s message and share the gift that religious life is,” said Sister Leann, who talked about the vow of obedience in the video series.
“The media is a very tangible and accessible way for people to learn more about our order and other orders in general,” Sister Leann said. The PES sisters operate a website and YouTube channel. Some women have reached out to the sisters to learn more about the order after viewing their videos, Sister Leann said.
Sister Joseph Marie Cruz, 72, has served the elderly as a Little Sister of the Poor for over 50 years. She said that the video series could be a good way for young women to hear about the Little Sisters of the Poor, who usually lead hidden lives within their homes serving the elderly.
“We are not that visible to the young people,” said Sister Joseph Marie, who is originally from Denver and has served in Columbia, Spain, Peru and France. She now serves at the Little Sisters’ Holy Family Residence in St. Paul. “(The video series) really gives them a possibility to see our work in action and to hear what our work is all about.”
Sister Joseph Marie said that above all she hopes that through the Catholic Sisters Week video series, others can witness her joy in being called to be a bride of Christ.
“I am very happy in my vocation. If I had to choose again, I would choose the same route, the same calling,” she said. “Since I am so happy and (ful)filled in my vocation, I wish other young women would be able to witness this joy and be able to give themselves totally to God in the service of the elderly.”
