Deceased Benedictine sisters moved to Mount Calvary Cemetery

Intermountain Catholic

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Benedictine Sisters Danile Knight (left), Luke Hoschette, Mary Zenzen, Jean Gibson and Marilyn Mark gather to welcome their deceased sisters to their new resting place in Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery. IC photo/Christine Young

SALT LAKE CITY — In preparation of their pending return to their motherhouse in Minnesota, on May 14 the Sisters of Mount Benedict Monastery transferred three deceased sisters from the cemetery on their property in Ogden to Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery in Salt Lake City.

The deceased sisters who were transferred were Sister Francis Forster, who died in 2000; Sister Jeremia Januschka, who died in 2006; and Sister Judine Suter, who died in 2008.

"We thought that the sisters ministered so long in the Utah area, it was appropriate that their remains be here," said Benedictine Sister Luke Hoschette. "The sisters are buried next to other sisters who have served for a length of time in Utah and this will give their friends an opportunity to visit their graves if they so desire."

Religious sisters and friends from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City gathered for a prayer service to welcome the deceased sisters to their new resting place in Mount Calvary Catholic Cemetery.

Monsignor Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general, and Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus, participated in the prayer service.

"I had shared years of ministry and friendship with these wonderful Benedictine sisters and will some day, most likely, share a piece of the sacred ground that today became their new and lasting resting place at Mount Calvary," said Msgr. Bircumshaw. "Their grave markers and the statue to Our Blessed Mother, that was a gift to the sisters in Ogden from the employees of the original Saint Benedict’s Hospital, will serve as a lasting reminder to generations to come of their legacy here in the Land of Zion."

With the move to Minnesota, the Sisters of Saint Benedict discussed what to do with the deceased sisters, said Benedictine Sister Danile Knight, monastery spokesperson. "We knew we would have to do something with the sisters in the cemetery and we realized it would be expensive to transfer them back to Minnesota. We also know that people enjoy visiting their gravesites, and we felt they would be closer in Salt Lake and it would be nice to have the graves available for them."

Sr. Jeremia and Sr. Judine both taught at Judge Memorial Catholic High School "and many people knew them," said Sr. Danile. "Sr. Jeremia also taught at Saint Olaf School and was so well-known working in the diocese in the permanent diaconate program."

After teaching at Judge Memorial, Sr. Judine worked as a counselor at the hospital in the Alcohol and Chemical Treatment Center.

"She loved that work and the people loved her," said Sr. Danile.

Sr. Francis came to Utah in 1954 to work in Saint Benedict’s Hospital business office and was on the board of directors "and got to know many people in Ogden as well as in the diocese," said Sr. Danile. "We always considered her our wisdom sister. If there was a serious decision to make, we went to her. Actually we felt all three sisters would want to stay in Utah. There will be headstones placed in Minnesota so family members can also visit their gravesites."

Marcy Thaeler traveled from Ogden to participate in the sisters’ transfer to Salt Lake City.

"I am glad that some of the sisters are staying in Utah," Thaeler said. "All of the sisters have been influential in my spiritual and even my professional life as a hospital chaplain. They are such great role models; it’s our responsibility to carry on in their footsteps."

Joanne Sullivan, a Benedictine oblate, agreed it will be the lay leaders’ responsibility to carry on the Benedictine spirituality in the diocese.