Our SSMO Sisters

Growing up on a farm in Gervais, Delores Adelman couldn’t have envisioned the path that ultimately brought her to the Sisters of St….

Sister Adele Marie Altenhofen’s ministry has included work as a teacher, principal and Motherhouse administrator. She is currently serving as the president of Sisters of…

In my senior year in high school I decided it would be a good idea to start reading the Bible. I went to…

Sr. Theresa Ann Bunker: In her own words I was born November 5, 1933. My birth was to take place at our home…

Everything is a gift from God I was born and raised in South Vietnam in a family of ten. I was taught by…

I was born and grew up in Vietnam. My family came to the U.S. as political refugees in 2002. I have been asked…

The first Sister of St. Mary of Oregon I met was Sr. Joyce Barsotti. She was hosting an evening retreat, “Come and See,”…

Many people inspired me to consider religious life: my parents; my aunts, Sr. Marcine Frank, SSMO, and Sr. Ruth Frank, OSB; my great…

My family lived in Holy Cross Parish and it was in the sixth grade that I first thought about becoming a Sister. Sr….

I have no recollections from my youth of wanting to be a Sister. I have no knowledge that people were praying that I…

Sister Sara Goggin is the daughter of John and Dorothy (Doggett) Goggin. She was born in Townsend, Montana. She first encountered the spirit…

I’ve always been fascinated by sisters and nuns.  When I was a kid I thought, “They have the best job: they have the…

I am Sr. Juana Gutierrez, the fourth child of Rafael Gutierrez and Rosa Mares. I have three brothers and six sisters, whom I…

In her own words Until I was 16, I never had any desire whatsoever to become a Sister. I always dressed up in…

In her own words: Sr. Elma Heesacker I remember hearing the call to religious life at a very early age. I had transferred…

How is it that I entered the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon? You could say I slipped in the back door when…

I was born in Hillsboro, Ore. in 1941, the fourth girl to farmers Ray and Agnes Hertel. Our family got bigger and bigger…

Somewhat like St. Paul, I got knocked off my horse on my way to a career in music performance and a happily married…

One day at Providence Medical Center, where I ministered as a chaplain, one of the nurses said: “I want Sister Patricia Marie to…

Sister Marilyn LeDoux: In her own words During Lent of my eighth grade at St. John the Baptist School in Milwaukie, Oregon, we…

I am from a family of nine brothers and sisters. We grew up surrounded with women religious and priests at our family gatherings….

My pathway toward the goal of following the Lord was not always rose-strewn, but I believe that our loving God has accompanied me…

Sr. M. Juliana Monti was a 2013 Jubilarian of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. For the majority of Sister’s 49 years…

When asked about her call to religious life, Sister Diana Jean Neumayer commented, “I drove by the Motherhouse building of the Sisters of…

I was born in Vietnam, and I grew up in a big happy Catholic family with nine brothers and two sisters. I have…

I was born in what was then South Vietnam. When I was a child, I had many opportunities to practice and grow up…

Sr. Marcella Parrish: In her own words When I was four, my family moved into town from a logging camp. We had been…

Josephine Pelster was born the fifth of nine children to Norbert and Louise (Unger) Pelster of Vernonia, Oregon. Her faith-filled parents frequently prayed…

Looking back on all the countless graces I have received from our Lord, I am amazed that day after day I am continuing…

I was born and raised in a Catholic family. When I was 13, my family migrated from Vietnam to the US to reunite…

Sister Janet Slingerland (Sister Stephen) was born and raised in Portland. The oldest of three children, she entered the Sisters of St. Mary…

Reflecting on vocation as I go into my 69th year in religious life, I recognize that God’s call comes at various times and…

I persevere in religious life because of my desire and love for God. This strong desire to be close to God has always…

I was born in North Plains, Oregon, and attended a nearby one-room public school with about 15 students. Our parish, St. Edward’s in…

Recently a poster was put up in our Convent with the following message. “God and I make a great team. I know where…

God is so good, oh so good to me. I had two very religious parents. At night we said the rosary and litany of…

God is so good, oh so good to me. I had two very religious parents. At night we said the rosary and litany of…

God is so good, oh so good to me. I had two very religious parents. At night we said the rosary and litany of…

How is it that I persevere in my religious vocation and in living in a convent with many Sisters? First, perseverance is a…

A life is a tremendous gift and I want to make the most of it for God I’m Sister Krista von Borstel, I…

How did I, a little girl from North Dakota, arrive at the doorsteps of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon? God led…