Sister Marie Rose Van Deurzen, SSND

• Professed1966
• Current Ministries: Pastoral Associate at Sacred Heart, Manawa and Ss. Peter & Paul, Weyauwega
• Previous Ministries: Teacher, Principal, and Director of Religious Formation

My life as an SSND has been and continues to be a gift and a challenge. I have been challenged to experience things I never thought of doing before. One privilege I cherish is the summer I gave a workshop to women in the Marshall Islands. The women came from several Islands in the Pacific for one week to learn more about becoming better catechists. Together, we celebrated the gifts of each person. I was blessed to share the simple life of these women. Another enriching experience was visiting Guatemala through the GATE program and seeing first-hand how poor people live there.

One of my primary communities is with four women who are associates with the SSNDs. These women are various ages, the oldest 85 and the youngest 40. We share stories of Mother Theresa and Mother Caroline, as well as stories of SSNDs whose lives have been part of our lives. These women were aware of a call from God. After sharing the gifts of our international community, they too wanted to follow the call to deepen their relationship with Jesus. We even traveled together to Rome and shared the gifts our international leadership while staying at the SSND Generalate.

At present I minister in the rural area. Life is simple. I minister to both young and old, from playing accordion and preparing prayer services at nursing homes to ministering with the sick and dying and working with catechists for the youth and children. Catholics are a minority, so I truly can share much of my story, as many do not even know what a sister is.

I would encourage anyone looking at religious life to spend some time with me and other sisters in various locations. I have many visitors who love the country and cherish the surroundings.

God has blessed each of us with several gifts and talents. When I minister at a specific location, I always am challenged to use some hidden talent I was not aware of. It is God's way of calling me to serve others.

Mary, Mother of the Church and of our congregation, gently challenges us: