18 October 2026 · 2026-10 newsletter
Sr. M. Louisa was called home to eternal life on 7th October, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. Her funeral Mass was held at Mount Schoenstatt on 12th October. The following is the Eulogy for Sr. M. Louisa.
Sr. M. Louisa was a woman of prayer, rooted in God and faithful to her calling to those privileged to know her. She is one of the first sisters to be called home at the beginning of our new century as Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary.
Sr. M. Louisa was born on 25 January 1931 as the eldest of five children. Her youngest sister, Renata, is with us in spirit today. When I told her of Sr. M Louisa death, she told me that Sr. M. Louisa, being the eldest, was like a mother to her. She was a great support throughout her life, even if her sister was far away in Australia.
Until the outbreak of World War II, she lived happily with her family. Her mother was a convert and, together with her father, they provided the foundation for her religious upbringing. During the war, however, she was separated from her family and placed with a foster family, who had a deep faith and thus further nurtured her spiritual growth. It was during her time with this family that she received her First Holy Communion, an experience she later described as “very profound”.
Although Sr. M. Louisa’s death was not unexpected, it came suddenly. For several years she suffered from leukaemia and required regular blood transfusions. In June of last year, following a hospital stay, she moved happily into a nursing home where she could receive a level of care we were no longer able to provide. Her outgoing and sociable nature enabled her to feel at home wherever she was. She could not speak highly enough of the nursing home and its staff; in her eyes, everything was simply wonderful. It is at this point that I would like to express the thanks of Sr. Isabell, our provincial who is at present attending a General Congress of our family in Germany, as well as all of our Sisters, to the nursing staff at OLOC Rooty Hill. We are truly grateful for the love and care that was provided for Sr. M Louisa over the last sixteen months. Sister’s attitude at being in the Nursing home was very characteristic of her positive and grateful spirit. She had a wonderful sense of humour, a gift that brought lightness, joy, and encouragement to all whom she met.
In recent months, however, she spoke more frequently of “going home.” In the last couple of weeks, she was brought to the hospital three times. After the last visit, she asked the nursing staff to prepare her “blue dress.”
Sr. M. Louisa encountered Schoenstatt as a young teenager and became active in the Schoenstatt Youth. She later belonged to the Women’s Union for five years before entering our community on 4 February 1956. (This branch of our Schoenstatt Family is not yet in Australia) Her intention was to serve in the missions. Although she had originally been destined for Africa, she was not granted a visa and so, instead, together with another course sister – Sr. M Loretta whom many of you knew – she arrived in Australia on 3 November 1960. She spoke her final “yes” to our community on 27 January 1965 in the then Central House in Ashfield, Sydney. In later years, she often expressed profound gratitude that God had led her to Schoenstatt.
Sr. M. Louisa possessed a special gift for relating to children and also to animals. One of the responses we received following the announcement of her homegoing, gives an idea of the latter: “I remember her very well … She had a love for animals, as well as children. I discovered for the first time the activity of the resident Bowerbird, who collects blue things to impress the female species. Sister described her experiment, of removing all the blue items from the nest; then the next day, blue items appeared, again.” I heard from one of the neighbours that she would ride her bike to their little farm and handle the little piglets, much to the concern of mother pig and enjoy the horses on the property. If we sisters had any difficulty with any of God’s creatures, Sr. M Louisa was the one we called upon to help us, whether it be a bird, a bat, a mouse, or a kangaroo. She simply had a knack with animals.
But even more so with children. She interacted naturally with them, and they, in turn, responded readily to her warmth and kindness. Recognising this gift, the community sent her to Western Australia in January 1961 to assist in our newly established kindergarten there. Since she had no formal training in childcare, after a year she returned to NSW, where, in a kindergarten run by another community, she gained training and practical experience. Returning to Western Australia in 1964, she managed our kindergarten there for almost twenty years. She was much loved by the children, and her work was greatly appreciated by their parents. It was through her apostolate with the parents, that she played an important role in the formation of the first Schoenstatt Mothers’ and Family Groups in Western Australia.
In 1982, Sr. M. Louisa was transferred to the Provincial House in New South Wales – by this time now in Mulgoa. Here she primarily assisted with household responsibilities. However, at the same time, she was once again able to use her gift with children by teaching catechetics in state schools. She continued this work throughout the 1980s and 1990s. The response that I quoted earlier further reads: “Sr M. Louisa introduced me to her catechist class at the local public school. She inspired me to do this work when I returned home following my time at Mulgoa.”
One of Sister’s greatest joys was assisting with children’s programmes at family and mothers’ weekends, as well as at other formation events within the Schoenstatt Movement. The children enjoyed being with Sr. M. Louisa so much so that it was often difficult to persuade them to return to their parents.
For the past twenty to twenty-five years, until her move to the nursing home, Sr. M. Louisa was truly a pilgrim sister at our Consors Patris Shrine, here in Mulgoa.
She was rarely seen without a rosary in her hands, whether in the house chapel long before morning prayer or later at the Shrine. Therefore, it seems especially providential that Sr. M. Louisa was called home to God on the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. She would pray at least three rosaries a day and often more, including the many intentions entrusted to her.
As she prayed in and around the Shrine, she always had a ready smile and a welcoming word for visitors. This is the way that many people remember her. Visitors often shared their struggles and concerns with her and asked for her prayers. Young couples frequently came seeking Our Lady’s intercession for the gift of a child or assistance in finding work. They would often return to tell Sr. M. Louisa how their prayers had been answered. The arrival of a newborn child brought her particular joy. She was truly a “Shrine Apostle.”
Here are a couple of other echoes from those who encountered Sr. Louisa at the Shrine:
“Sr Louisa was the first smiling face I met at Schoenstatt, I’ll never forget our talks.”
“She was such a beautiful person. I always felt so loved by her. She was such a great part of my life as a member of the Schoenstatt Family.”
“Every time I came there, she was always there with that beautiful gentle smile and welcoming me into the Shrine.”
Sr. M. Louisa entered our community at a very difficult time during our father’s exile. Her course group therefore saw their mission in being a sacrifice of love through which the Heavenly Father’s plans should become clear, especially regarding an understanding of our father’s charism. Sr. M Louisa always kept close contact with her course sisters, even during the time she was in Rooty Hill.
It is with sadness but also deep gratitude that we farewell Sr. M Louisa this morning. I would like to finish with words from Sr. M Isabell:
May her fidelity, her prayerfulness, and her joyful spirit accompany us and inspire us as we embrace the future with courage and hope. While we shall miss her, we remain grateful for the blessing of her life and for all that she has given to our community. May she now rest in peace.
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