Sister Maria Mediatrix  

Sister Maria Mediatrix                 ND 4771                  PDF Download

Agnes Holtkemper

Maria Regina Province, Coesfeld / Germany

Date and Place of Birth:            03 February 1931    Rheine-Altenrheine
Date and Place of Profession: 30 August 1955        Coesfeld
Date and Place of Death:         20 July 2021             Coesfeld, Kloster Annenthal
Date and Place of Funeral:      27 July 2021             Coesfeld, Convent cemetery

“One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek; that I may dwell in the house
of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord”. Ps. 27:4 – 6

This psalm verse has come true for Sister Maria Mediatrix on 20^th July. Throughout her life she wanted to proclaim the friendliness and love of the Lord, especially among the children and their parents.

Sr. M. Mediatrix and her 8 siblings grew up in a religious family. In her home parish, her active engagement in youth groups, in the lector ministry, and in caritas tasks shaped her. So it was only natural that she entered our Congregation in 1955 in order to actively commit herself to education. She wrote, “In the face of the challenges of our time and society, the needs of life of many people, especially the religious superficiality and ignorance, we are called like our foundresses to live the Good News of the Gospel and to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the transmission of the faith”.

Strengthened by her life motto, she first ministered in a boarding school, then in the kindergartens in Gescher and Gescher-Hochmoor. She never forgot to involve the parents and to work in the local parishes. Regarding the parish catechesis, she was mainly interested in offering the parents help to pass on the faith to their children. Sister’s voluntary ministry in the parishes was always connected with her religious pedagogical work in the kindergarten. These different tasks led to a training for full-time pastoral ministry. In 1983, she received the solemn ecclesiastical commissioning and mission by the bishop as pastoral advisor for the parishes in Südlohn.

She benefited from her many years as an educator and from her voluntary engagement in the parish. She lived with the children and therefore she found easy access to the families. It remained her first goal to impart joy in faith to the children and thereby strengthen the faith in the families. No work and no effort were too much for her. It was important to her to live the faith with the families.

Following in the footsteps of our foundresses was a source of joy and strength in her manifold pastoral tasks. Although her work was extensive, it was important to her to participate in the community life of the sisters as much as possible. Common conversations were helpful to her because then joys and sorrows could be shared. With her accordion she often contributed to the joy of others.

Up to the age of 90, she still reacted happily and contentedly – especially when you talked about the children. She loved remembering the past by looking at her photos. This spring, she could celebrate her iron jubilee, which had not been possible last year because of the pandemic.

Sister Maria Mediatrix has now reached her goal and – according to her life motto – she can dwell in the house of the Lord and gaze on the beauty of the Lord.