Sister Mary Rose Menting was the 9th of 14 children born to Albert and Rose Menting. She grew up on a farm in the village of Phlox, WI. She attended St. Joseph Catholic Grade School in Phlox. After the completion of 8th Grade, she, along with her cousin, Johanna, (Sister Camilla Menting), entered St. Joseph Convent in Milwaukee to prepare to become religious Sisters. She completed High School at St. Joseph Convent and was received into the School Sisters of St. Francis on June 13, 1945. She was given the name Sister Rosebia which she later changed to Sister Mary Rose. After 2 years of spiritual and professional training, she professed her first vows on June 21, 1947.
Her first teaching assignment was at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Aurora, IL. Then for 1 year at St. John the Baptist in Johnsburg, IL. For 15 years she taught at St. Peter School in St. Peter, WI. In 1965, Sister Mary Rose was appointed to Keyesville, WI as principal, teacher and superior of the 3 other Sisters. It was there that she began her years of ministry with Sister Betty Reinders. The Diocese of LaCrosse closed the parish school in 1969, at which time she and Sister Betty were asked by the Wisconsin Provincials to go to Graduate School and study for a Masters Degree in Religious Studies.
After that year of schooling, Sr. Mary Rose & Sr. Betty were hired by the Diocese of La Crosse, WI as Religious Education Directors. They worked together in the La Crosse Diocese for 7 years. Most of Sister Mary Rose’s time was spent working on the Diocesan Team, going to parishes in the Diocese to help train teachers of religion. Sister Mary Rose was also in charge of providing teachers with resources to use in preparing high school students to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. During this time Sisters Mary Rose and Betty lived with the Sisters of St. Joseph from Stevens Point – our School Sister “cousins”.
In 1977 both Sister Mary Rose and Sister Betty were hired by St. Thomas More Parish in Appleton, WI where Sr. Mary Rose was a Religious Education Director for several years. During her 38 years of ministry there, she was also involved in Adult Education, Pastoral Bereavement Ministry, directing the Parish RCIA program and serving on the Parish Worship Commission as well as several other Parish Commissions. Working to enhance Liturgy was always a priority for her.
Using her artistic ability as part of the Parish Worship Commission, she helped to create designs for the windows in the Parish’s newly built church building. She also created liturgical symbols for the weekly Parish bulletin covers as well as for the Liturgy sheets that were used each weekend for worship.
Some of the other highlights during all her years of ministry were:
- the weekly sharing and discussion of the coming Sunday’s Liturgical readings with adult groups of parishioners
- making chicken noodle soup – her homemade soup was welcomed by many – including patients coming home from the hospital
- being a farm girl, she always saw to it that any empty, un-used outdoor space was put to good use – either with beautiful geraniums or with onions or tomatoes.
- she designed all kinds of cards in her spare time – her specialty being the ones created with Queen Anne’s Lace which she gathered from fields and roadsides during Summertime.
In 2015, after 68 years of ministry, and at the age of 86, Sister Mary Rose decided to retire and she moved to Sacred Heart in Milwaukee. She always felt that she had made an excellent decision and that she was so well cared for as she continued to age.
In Sister Mary Rose’s own words, she says to us:
"I am very grateful to God, to all the School Sisters of St. Francis, to Sister Betty, to all who have ministered to me, and to all with whom I have ministered during my years of life on earth.
I pray that Jesus will welcome me with the words, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’"