On December 7, 1917, Sebastian and Marceline Mack welcomed daughter Rose to their family. The Mack family lived on a large farm in Saskatchewan, Canada, and the children had fun while keeping up with the many chores of farm life. One of Rose’s responsibilities was caring for the chickens and gathering the eggs.
Rose once described herself as “stubborn,” but then decided that “determined” was the better word. Determination showed itself early in Rose’s life. At the age of four or five, Rose followed an older brother to the top of the farm windmill, until her mother caught sight and quickly came to the rescue. And despite warnings to be careful, Rose loved roller skating down a steep hill. Rose recalls now, “I never did fall!”
Rose learned to speak German, and she used it to her advantage when she entered the convent as an Aspirant. After completing her kitchen duties with her friends, she asked the German-speaking sister in charge, in German, if they could please have ice cream. Her request in sister’s native language earned the group a delicious treat.
But Sister also experienced hardship. Shortly after Rose began grade school, her mother died of pneumonia. Some family members were sent to live with relatives, and Rose moved in with her maternal uncle and his wife. Her uncle had two sisters who were in religious life, and he told Rose, “Someday you’re going to be a nun.” At the time, she didn’t agree.
In sixth grade, Rose moved again, this time to Dane, Wisconsin, to live with her maternal aunt. There, she met the School Sisters of St. Francis, including Sister Reginald and Sister Ziti, who became her role models and friends. It wasn’t long before Rose made her own decison to enter religious life.
Rose entered the convent in 1932 and learned about religious life through daily work like doing laundry and cleaning. On June 13, 1935, she was received into the community and given the name Sister Cordine. She entered the community hoping to become a nurse, but her first mission was at St. Martin Convent in Chicago as a homemaker. On her first day, she sat in the kitchen and cried because she was not prepared to cook meals for 18 sisters. Fortunately, kind-hearted sisters at the convent helped her get settled and shared their experience, so she quickly learned.
When the 1960s brought major changes to religious life, Sister Rose embraced them all. She returned to her baptismal name, began wearing modified clothing, applied for jobs, and adapted to the changes in the Church with Vatican II. These changes gave Sister Rose the chance to fulfill her longtime dream to serve in health care by becoming a nurse’s aide. She served the elderly and children in Chicago’s Thorek Hospital.
At age 70, Sister Rose was ready to retire, but God had other plans. She responded to an ad in the church bulletin in which a mother was asking for a childcare provider. This young mother was ill, and needed help caring for her young daughter, Kristin. On Valentine’s Day, Sister Rose met Kristin and became her daily childcare provider from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. They became lifelong friends and Kristin calls Sister Rose every day. That loving bond continues to be one of the greatest blessings of Sister Rose’s life.
Now 107 years old, Sister Rose remains active, attending Masses in the Sacred Heart chapel, assembling puzzles, participating in activities in the Gathering Room, and visiting with other sisters. When asked how she would encourage young people to consider the beauty of religious life, her advice is simple and wise: “Talk about vocations in the classrooms, religion classes, and college-campus ministry groups.”
Sister Rose is a woman of joyful peace and determination. Happy 90th Jubilee, Sister Rose!