Month of Gratitude Reflections 2022
Our 2022 Month of Gratitude reflections will include eight gratitude inspirations created by members of the CSB Alumnae Board and Bennie alumnae about Sisters from the Order of Saint Benedict who have impacted their lives.
If you’d like to make a scholarship contribution in honor of a Sister at CSB, simply visit givecsb.com, click Give Online Today and pick “Other” from the Fund menu. Then type “Sisters of Saint Benedict Scholarship” in the Other Designation Preference box.
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Alard Zimmer ’44
I met the humble S. Alard Zimmer while I was a student at the College of Saint Benedict in the late 1970s and early 1980s. I got to know her through another retired nun who was in the Benedictine Friends program. But I never would have predicted that S. Alard would so directly impact my life post-graduation.
Alard Zimmer, OSB, a highly educated math instructor, had vast experience teaching high school and college-level math classes during her long career. She ran the mathematics lab at Saint Ben’s toward the end of her formal classroom teaching, which allowed her to focus on helping students learn how to overcome challenges with math. She was genuinely committed to finding ways for students to be successful.
After my college graduation, I ended up becoming a teacher at my former high school. With no education training but the right combination of majors for a one-year opening, I was hired. To our mutual surprise, S. Alard was on sabbatical and also joined the staff for that one year! True to her nature, she respectfully reached out to me regularly, especially when I didn’t even know I needed advice. Her thoughtful, intuitive mentorship nurtured me through that year, and I credit her with helping me get started in my own education career.
S. Alard devoted her energy to education, both in and out of the classroom. Although I was never her student, I learned a great deal from her. Her commitment to service and respect for the dignity of all learners are lessons I hope I have carried with me. I am grateful she showed me what a truly great educator is.
Liz Lawyer Tomten ’82
Major: English
Retired 7th grade teacher
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Lois Wedl ’53
Chances are that you know the biggest fan of Saint Ben’s athletics, Sister Lois Wedl. Known for her devotion to supporting Bennies and Johnnies in their athletic endeavors with full zeal, she’s been a familiar sight and support to the community for decades. That was celebrated by naming the primary building of the Outdoor Athletic Complex the Sister Lois Wedl Athletic Center just last year.
Many Bennies, including me, are thankful for even more than her cheering. I lived kitty-corner from S. Lois in Margretta Hall. Seeing her in the mornings before heading out for class was always like getting a blessing for a good day ahead. I still remember her sweet smile and voice and how it brightened everyone on sight. Her kind heart seemed to know when we needed a chat and her talks never failed to engage our intellects, warm our hearts or send us forth with a little more confidence.
I think it goes without saying that we have a multitude of reasons to be grateful for S. Lois’s role in our CSB community. Perhaps you were a student of hers when she began teaching at Saint Bens in 1986. You may have been an athlete who sat next to her in pre-season meetings or on the bus heading to a game. Perhaps you were (and still are) a fan sitting by her in the stands, cheering on our Bennie sisters. Perhaps you get her famous emails after our teams’ successes. Or perhaps you were lucky enough to interact with her while at Saint Bens. Regardless of how we all know her, I feel confident in saying that the community is so grateful for her in our lives.
When I connected with S. Lois recently, she had this to share about gratitude:
“As I think of gratitude, I truly believe Meister Eckhart captures the heart of it in his quote, ‘If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.’ My love, Sister Lois Wedl”
Katie Frazier Boettcher ’12
Major: management
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Colman O’Connell ’49
S. Colman O’Connell was the president of the College of Saint Benedict when I arrived as a first-year student. Some of you may know her name from the place where you studied in the Haehn Campus Center or where you performed or watched a performance in the Benedicta Arts Center. When I was in school, our paths rarely crossed before she retired after my sophomore year.
Fast-forward almost 20 years and I suddenly was one of Colman’s colleagues when I joined the Institutional Advancement department at CSB. As a part of my orientation, I was asked to meet with my colleagues one-on-one to learn more about what each of them do and how our roles intersect. She was a development officer in our department, meaning she worked on finding and negotiating large gifts to the college. My meeting with S. Colman was very formal. What first struck me when I walked in and shook her hand was that it hadn’t occurred to me how short she was. It didn’t matter – she was still intensely intimidating. I remember being VERY nervous and sitting up so straight that my back started to hurt. I know many people remember interactions like this. She was a no-nonsense woman.
Over the next few years, I got to know her better and learned that she had a great sense of humor and that we shared a love for etiquette. She also had a flare for the dramatic – which shouldn’t be a surprise because she was a Theater faculty member for many years before she became president. She was opinionated but she delivered her opinion in such a way that warmed our hearts and made us laugh. One of the highlights of my career was when Colman and then-president Dr. Mary Hinton joined me on stage during the Reunion Kick-Off event for a candle lighting ceremony. Colman was 50 years my senior, so we made a point to show the depth of our alumnae and how we are all connected. To be on the stage with two amazing women was such an honor.
My office was located at the end of the hallway in the Main building, sharing a wall with the monastery. When I would work on campus, if I was in my office, Colman would stop at my door to wish me a good night before she walked through that Monastery door at the end of the hallway. On Sept. 30, 2017, I received a call from my supervisor that S. Colman had passed away at the age of 90. She had been at an event at the president’s house the night before and I took great joy that she partied until she was taken from this world. It caused great sadness for our team to lose her so suddenly, but we learned that she passed away peacefully, kneeling next to her bed. When I got the call that she had passed, I immediately thought about the last time I saw her. Did she say good-bye to me on her way out? She did. And that is one memory I will always hold close to my heart.
Anne Sumangil ’99
Director, alumnae relations
Major: management
Minors: accounting and Spanish
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Baulu Kuan ’60
I first met S. Baulu Kuan in the fall of my sophomore year at Saint Ben’s.
A few other students and I paired with S. Baulu to assist in a project she started with Fr. Cyprian Weaver, a doctor, anthropologist and medical researcher from the Saint John's community. The two had traveled and taught together in mainland China and Taiwan, and shared a mutual love of poetry and traditional ink painting. As a young art major who was just beginning to find her chosen medium, afternoons spent with S. Baulu meant having the opportunity to be fully immersed in another artist's profound passion for her work. As my own journey as an artist and a maker has evolved, I am grateful for those moments with S. Baulu; she taught me that deep curiosity for people and the world around us is at the heart of the creative process.
S. Baulu's enduring appreciation for her life's blessings still guide her life and work: “I believe gratitude helps us to open our hearts to be creative and more loving.”
S. Baulu's humble approach to life and art continues to inspire me.
Katie Tomten, ’12
Major: French and art
French/ethnic studies teacher
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Phyllis Plantenberg ’48
Many alumnae knew S. Phyllis Plantenberg as a biology professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, or even as a high school science teacher back in the day. Some knew her as the founder of the Common Ground Garden, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm I managed for the Benedictine sisters for seven years. Still others knew her as one of the founders of the St. Joseph Farmers' Market.
S. Phyllis was all these things and so much more. She loved poetry, was proud of the big yellow "Cadillac of barns" on the west edge of campus and was angry at the deer for eating the trilliums in the Saint Ben's woods.
“Always have seeds in your pocket,” S. Phyllis used to tell me. Seeds for this year's garden, and seeds for how to bring people together around food and the land. S. Phyllis had an abundance of seeds in her pockets and was eager to know what seeds you carried.
S. Phyllis died peacefully at the age of 95 in December 2021. She had been slowly declining over the last few years, but was still fierce, feisty, loving and generous. Things slipped from her memory easily, but she'd give you a hug anyway, even if she didn't remember your name!
Kate Ritger ’03 (SOT ’07)
Major: theology
Common Ground Garden caretaker
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Nancy Hynes ’55
Late in the semester of our women’s literature course, I waited after class to talk with my professor, S. Nancy Hynes, OSB, Ph.D., about an upcoming paper. S. Nancy answered my logistical questions and at the end of the conversation she paused, placed a hand on her hip, leaned in and said, “Now, I have a question for you. Why are you so reticent?”
After confirming the definition of “reticent” I felt stung: “not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily.” Huh. Although part of me balked at her question and wanted to dismiss it, the more I thought about it, the more truth I saw. In fact, S. Nancy’s question remains with me decades later, still challenging me to go beyond my comfort zone, trusting that I have ideas that are worth sharing. And I suspect that S. Nancy had similar pointed, challenging conversations with countless students during her tenure, encouraging young women to speak up and claim their positions as leaders in every community to which they belong.
In 2009, the Sister Nancy Hynes Institute for Women's Leadership was created “to provide a forum where women in this community of learners can explore and articulate their personal and professional aspirations to lead and transform communities in ways that allow all to reach their fullest potential.” What an ideal way to continue S. Nancy’s legacy at the College of Saint Benedict. As I think about the young women whose lives, like mine, were made more authentic through her mentoring, I fondly remember her wide smile and booming laugh. Her encouragement to speak up. Share your ideas. Use your voice.
“God is good! She never lets me down. I love my life of teaching, praying, singing and playing.”
- S. Nancy Hynes
Nancy Opstad Weldon ’92 (SOT ’21)
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Kristin Malloy
As a bewildered first-year student in the fall of 1990, on the first day of class, I walked into my Irish-themed English Symposium class taught by Kristin Malloy, OSB, not knowing the impact she would have on my life.
She clearly loved teaching. Her smile was contagious. Most everyone in the class had Irish roots with last names like McDonald, Flynn and McMahon, and a bond solidified among us students. Most of us became close friends and many are connected even to this day. One friend said of her, “What a sweetheart. And a brilliant woman.”
Everyone likely would say the highlight of her symposium was the “field trip” to St. Paul to listen to live traditional Irish music at The Dubliner. She may – or may not – have had a Guinness.
As an educator, she was a maverick. She led study abroad programs to Galway and summer trips for adults and families to Ireland. At one point in her career, she was banished by the local bishop for 10 years for allowing the inclusion of J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” on a suggested reading list.
I didn’t know until after her passing that she worked in Washington, D.C., for two years before entering the Monastery. As an alumna living and working in D.C., I sometimes find myself near the Capitol where there, too, is a Dubliner Irish restaurant close by. I think of her every time I pass by, and I may – or may not – stop in for a Guinness.
Jennifer Nord Mallard ’94
Major: government
Head of government affairs
Month of Gratitude Reflection: S. Mary Anthony Wagner ’38
I am so grateful to have attended Saint Ben’s, where I received a wonderful education and made lifelong friends. But another benefit of CSB has been the honor of meeting many of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict. This community of accomplished women supported us, prayed for us and befriended us, and I am thankful for their role in our growth.
S. Mary Anthony Wagner was one of those inspirational Benedictines, and one of the first sisters I met at Saint Ben’s. My aunt, a nun who had done her graduate work at SJU, had befriended S. Mary Anthony years before, and mentioned that I should seek out her good friend. By coincidence (or perhaps divine intervention), S. Mary Anthony was my Faculty Resident (FR) on my first-year residence hall floor. Because of my family connection, I felt she took a little extra care to check in on me, and I appreciated the attention. As that first year progressed, however, I came to realize that S. Mary Anthony had the rare ability to make everyone feel that special.
In her role as FR for our West Apartment building, S. Mary Anthony expertly nurtured a supportive, inclusive community through listening and respect. The apartment building (Smith) served as housing for both American and international students, and she expertly encouraged us to share commonalities while celebrating diversity. Her personalized concern made us all feel accepted and grateful. We adored her.
When not mentoring students, S. Mary Anthony was a founding member of Saint John University’s Graduate School of Theology, directed the Saint Ben’s Oblate program and served as an ethics consultant. Her expertise even helped inform the renovation of the Sacred Heart Chapel. She was the ultimate Benedictine: a lifelong, faith-filled learner. What an inspiration!
Learn more about S. Mary Anthony.
Liz Lawyer Tomten ’82
Majors: English and Art History
Retired 7th grade English and Art teacher