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Sister Rochelle Kerkhof, left, and Sister Monica Mary DeQuardo live in Imperial, and are helping with parish outreach and religious education in eight other communities in southwest Nebraska.

Catholic sisters helping to expand parish outreach

A pair of Catholic sisters who are living in Imperial but serving nine parishes in southwest Nebraska admit to getting some second looks at times.

Both Sister Monica Mary DeQuardo and Sister Rochelle Kerkhof don’t take offense because they realize the looks are out of curiosity in the southwest Nebraska communities they both rate “very friendly.”

After all, there haven’t been many sisters serving full-time in the area. 

The reason they are here is simple, they say—to serve the Lord.

Both sisters are members of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity based in  Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and arrived in southwest Nebraska the end of July.

While they reside in Imperial, they are also serving the eight other parishes in the Grant Deanery in the communities of Wauneta, Grant, Benkelman, Stratton, Trenton, Palisade, Elsie and Wallace.

Both aren’t new to the state, having been in teaching, administration and diocesan positions in eastern Nebraska in years past.

After living here four months now, they both attest that southwest Nebraska is a little different than eastern Nebraska in that the area and its people reflect a bit more of their Franciscan way of life—humility, simplicity and hospitality.

“There is a basic friendliness here,” said Sister Monica Mary.

“I feel a real sense of identity with the parishes and what they are doing here. So many are attracted to the Lincoln Diocese (which stretches across Nebraska’s counties south of the Platte River) because of its good, Catholic education, and that is a reason I wanted to come back.”

Sister Rochelle agreed.

“I’m very impressed with the area. People watch out for each other. It’s really awesome,” she said.

The parishioners in this area, “really do support their churches with their time and talent,” Sister Rochelle added.

While the population is small in the communities they are working in, “The churches are magnificent and well taken care of while relying on a small number of people to take care of things,” she said.

Both sisters come to the area highly educated with Master’s degrees and vast experience in teaching, hospital leadership and service on school, hospital and diocesan boards.

Both were quick to point out they aren’t here to undo anything, but rather to augment what the churches are already doing with both parish life and religious education.

Sister Monica Mary is assisting Fr. Lothar Gilde, pastor of St. Patrick’s in Imperial, in multiple roles of daily parish life. She also teaches a class each week in St. Patrick Church’s K-12 religious education program, hoping to meet with each class once in each of the first and second semesters.

She holds a Master’s degree in General Professional Education from Seton Hall University.

Sister Rochelle is filling the position formerly held by Katie Dubas, so is “on the road” more for work throughout the deanery.

In that role, she is in regular contact with the high school religion class teachers in all nine parishes, and coordinates attendance at deanery and diocesan-wide events. Just last week, she coordinated a catechist training for all nine parishes in the area.

She also teaches some of the weekly religious education classes, and said she makes a point to invite parents to sit in if they choose.

Sister Rochelle holds Master’s degrees in Applied Spirituality and in Private School Administration, both from the University of San Francisco.

Both sisters attend Mass at the nine churches in the diocese, alternating Sundays “so parishioners see us as participating in parish life,” said Sister Monica Mary.

They’ve also made it a point to attend other community events in the area such as Elsie’s 100th anniversary, area fall church dinners and contribute to parish fundraisers just like other parishioners.

They are also enjoying getting out in the communities. Both gave high marks to the Lied Imperial Public Library.

The realization they wanted to become a Catholic religious sister came at different times for them.

For Sister Rochelle, it came early in her life.

Noting she was taught by Franciscan sisters at her elementary school and has relatives who are sisters, Sister Rochelle said she thought about it in the second grade and again in sixth grade. But her preparation for Confirmation in eighth grade solidified it, she said.

“That was a key turning point for me. I felt I wanted to go to high school at the convent. I wanted to be close to God,” she said.

She noted the church no longer takes girls that young to begin their path toward becoming a sister, and noted even in her case, “it’s a discerning process.”

“Every day you have to choose it again. I found more inner peace going in that direction than not,” she said.

It was a full 12 years for Sister Rochelle before she said her final vows.

Sister Monica Mary said the vocation crossed her mind as an eighth grader, but she really wanted to become a nurse early on.

“But I earned a scholarship to a college without a nursing program and fell back on what I new best then—the Latin language,” she said.

She taught English, history and Latin as a lay person for a couple of years until, at age 24, she entered the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity to begin her formation.

“I had a lot of stepping stones along the way,” she smiled.

Sister Monica Mary emphasized they couldn’t live the life they have chosen without being called by God. 

Their religious community and its community director review every sister’s assignments on an annual basis. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they hope to be here for awhile.

Both sisters believe their presence in southwest Nebraska also can give witness to the feminine side of the church, and inspire young women to consider a religious vocation.

 

The Grant Tribune-Sentinel

308-352-4311 (Phone)

PO Box 67
327 Central Ave in Grant
Grant NE 69140