Sister Lizania’s welcoming smile and the alert sparkle in her eye welcomed us as we visited with her. She will be 100 years old on January 14, 2023. She remembers everybody always being nice to her and looking out for one another. Her health has been good and a blessing to her.
Sister’s life began in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, northeast of Green Bay, on January 14, 1923. She was baptized Dolores and she had a twin sister, Agatha; and older sister, Hildegard; and three brothers, Roman, Leo, and Norman. She was received as a School Sister of St. Francis as a young adult and given the name Sister Lizania; Elizabeth of Hungary is her patron saint.
Her ministry began as a homemaker for 20 years in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. Sister Lizania spent the next 40-plus years at St. Joseph Convent in Campbellsport, Wisconsin, our retirement home for our sisters. She served in the host department for several years, making hosts for Holy Communion, before becoming a nursing assistant and a nurses’ aide.
She was fond of her work in the convent garden. We remember her working especially with the raspberries. She was always careful to find the berries hidden in-between the branches, and not happy when volunteers picked only those on the top, easily visible. Most people, she said, “just loved to eat them.”
She loved taking care of the dog and found joy in her time with it. She remembers living in the service building with two other sisters. This building also held the gardening tools and supplies, a small greenhouse, and one part served as a garage. “It was a nice place to be,” she said.
Sister Lizania completed her time at Campbellsport doing volunteer services and being a person of prayer and presence. She moved to Sacred Heart in 2015, when the Campbellsport convent was closed. Here, she says, “everybody is good to me, and I have no complaints. The food is good, and I eat well. We get all we need.” A fellow sister noted how humble, prayerful, and caring a person she is.
When asked how she spends her days, Sister Lizania indicated she is present to whatever is happening, living very much in the present moment. When asked to participate in an activity, she feels comfortable in saying yes or no, as she feels she wants to participate or not.
Sister Lizania enjoys having people stop in to see her and say, hello and welcomes visits from her nephew, Lloyd, and his wife, Jean. We send our blessings to Sister Lizania and look forward to celebrating with her on her 100th birthday next January.
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