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Religious sisters mark milestones of service
By Andrew Junker, ajunker@catholicsun.org
July 18, 2008
Having dedicated their lives to serving the Church, two religious sisters recently marked milestones in their ministries.
Sr. Rose Marie Deibel, SNDdeN, recently retired from the Office of Native American Ministry, and Sr. Ruth Karnitz, SSND, an auditor in the tribunal, celebrated 50 years of religious life.
Sr. Rose Marie, who served Native Americans locally for 10 years, said she always felt called to work with them, admiring their “love of nature and earthiness” from her childhood on.
“It was only in the last 25 years that I was able to move into that ministry,” she said. Sr. Rose Marie made her vows 61 years ago. “It was my choice and my order gave me encouragement and assisted me along the way.”
Franciscan Father Dale Jamison, director of Native American ministry, said Sr. Rose Marie exhibited great energy in her work, never tiring of spreading the Gospel message in often far-flung regions.
But it was all worthwhile, Sr. Rose Marie said.
“One of the biggest joys is when they can feel your trust of them and they reciprocate with trust of you,” she said.
Another woman religious who exemplifies love and dedication is Sr. Ruth, who in addition to celebrating 50 years of religious profession, also celebrated 20 years in the tribunal office this past January.
She has performed a number of roles in that office, but most enjoys her duties as an auditor in marriage cases. These include interviewing witnesses and clarifying petitioners’ testimony.
“You have to be a little bit of a detective,” she said. “But also, in order to do a good job in auditing, you have to be sensitive to the nuances of what they’re saying.”
Before working at the tribunal, Sr. Ruth taught religious education for years in the Midwest and also in Valley parishes, always going where God directed her, she said.
Fr. Chris Fraser, judicial vicar, gave the homily at a June 18 anniversary Mass, and joked that even though he’s technically Sr. Ruth’s boss, he basically does “what she tells [him] to do.”
“Sr. Ruth stands out because she mirrors the presence of Christ,” Fr. Fraser said. “Men and women religious have a whole way of life that stands out in the Church and in society.”
Sr. Ruth advised young men and women who might be discerning a call to religious life to put Christ first in their lives.
“I think they need to be in love with Jesus Christ, otherwise you’re not going to stick it out, because there will be some hard times,” she said, mentioning that community life can often be challenging.
“You become answerable to each other, sort of like when people get married. Hopefully, they’ll find just a lot of joy in life. I know I have,” she said.
“I did it all for God, and God did it all,” Sr. Ruth said. “That’s my sentence. I wouldn’t change one day of it.”
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