Sister Maria Radegundis   

Sister Maria Radegundis                     ND 4233                        PDF Download

Gertrud Gorißen

Maria Regina Province, Coesfeld / Germany

Date and Place of Birth:                July 30, 1925             Dülken
Date and Place of Profession:       February 08, 1953   Mülhausen
Date and Place of Death:               June 29, 2023           Mülhausen, Haus Salus
Date and Place of Funeral:            July 07, 2023             Mülhausen, Convent Cemetery

“The Lord stood by my side and gave me strength”. 2 Tim 4:17 (2nd reading from the day of her death)

Gertrud Gorißen was the second child born to Josef and Anna Gorißen. She had an elder brother and a younger sister; both are already dead. Gertrud grew up in a down-to-earth, Christian farming family, where it was a matter of course to lend a hand with any work that arose. When the Second World War broke out, the women at home had to cope with the agricultural work. So, Gertrud learned from a young age to pitch in firmly. So, the quote from the reading of the day of her death is very appropriate for Sister: “The Lord stood by my side and gave me strength”.

In August 1950, Gertrud, now Sister Maria Radegundis, started her novitiate. After her profession in 1953, Sister ministered in different houses of the province of Mülhausen and took over various tasks in housekeeping and care of young women who had come to the sisters to learn housekeeping. Sister Maria Radegundis also belonged to the first sisters who acquired a driving license, and she loved talking about the different trips she had to take. No matter what tasks she had been assigned, she was completely involved, and the “retiring age“ was far from being an option for her.

At Laurentiushaus in Grefrath, she was the cook in the small community where Reverend Dr. Scheulen also came for lunch. The large quantities of cookies from her bakery and her homemade jam were highly appreciated at the Advent bazaar.

After celebrating her 90^th birthday, Sister M. Radegundis found it appropriate to move to Haus Salus. Here, too, she participated in everything offered, and she was interested in everything. She especially loved jigsaw puzzles.

Until the end, she maintained close contacts with her former trainees, her acquaintances, and people from the parish. Sister was closely connected with her family and kept lively contact with her nieces and nephews.  It was a great joy and very important to her that she could celebrate her jubilee of grace (70 years of profession) with them.

Even as her strength noticeably waned and she consciously saw the last phase of her life approaching, her relatives and acquaintances often came to see her. On the day of her death, two of her nieces were with her, one of them accompanied her in her hour of death. Until the end, Sister realized that someone was with her, and she participated in praying and singing by moving her lips.

In faith we know Sister Maria Radegundis was well received and welcomed by the One who stood by her side in her earthly life and gave her strength.