Sister Marion Fritz, SSND

Mankato Mortuary 1001 N. Riverfront Drive Mankato, MN 56001 (507) 388-2202 Our beloved Sister Marion (Edward Marie) Fritz, 89, died peacefully at 9:15 p.m. on Monday, January 12, 2015, in Notre Dame Health Care, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mankato, Minnesota. Several weeks ago, it was discovered that a heart valve was failing, and she began full-time use of oxygen. Her three sisters, Ivona, Rosemary and Lorraine, her good friend, Sister Andrea Zelenak, and several other sisters were with her when she died. The funeral Mass for Sister Marion, with Father Eugene Stenzel as presider, will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday, January 16, in Good Counsel Chapel, Mankato. Burial of her cremains in our cemetery will follow at a later date. The vigil service will be at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. We extend our sympathy to her sisters, Ivona Wichmann, Rosemary (Marlin) Reiners, and Lorraine (David) Kaiser, her brothers, Marvin (Jan) and Bob, her sister-in-law, Helen, her nieces and nephews and their families, her friends, former colleagues and students, and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Eleanor Diekmann Fritz, her sister, Sister Pauline Fritz, SSND, and her brother, Loren. Sister Marion began her autobiography: "It was the end of summer; not very warm as summers can be because it was August 5, 1925, in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. Yes, it was on the feast of Our Lady of Snows that my father, Edward Lawrence Fritz and my mother, Eleanor Marie Diekmann, were proud parents of a baby girl, the first of eight children to bless their home." Three days later she was baptized Marion Evelyn at St. Gerard Majella Church, Yorkton. Nineteen months later, her sister Elizabeth (Sister Pauline) was born, and shortly after her birth the family moved to the United States, eventually settling on a farm near Lafayette, Minnesota. Her father worked on road construction until he was hurt in an accident; he then became a machinist. Three sons were born in Lafayette; three daughters joined the family after a move to North Mankato. Sister Marion credits her vocation to her family's strong faith. She shared at the time of her Golden Jubilee, "I recall my mother praying with the younger brothers and sisters. And I can still hear her saying to those of us who were older, Don't forget your prayers.' There were other times when prayer was part of our daily routine. We burned blessed palm and prayed for safety when a storm arose. We prayed for Dad to come home safely from work . . . In deep gratitude, I thank God for parents who knew God as their source of life and instilled that in me and my brothers and sisters." For several years, Marion attended a country school, and Sunday School at Holy Trinity in New Ulm, some distance from their home. Sisters of Christian Charity taught at Trinity, and Sister Marion later wrote, "These sisters were the first ones I ever saw and they must have made an impression on me because my mother relates that our playhouse days turned into convent days for Elizabeth and me. We found it hard to dress like these sisters with the bow under their chin." In 1936 the family moved just outside of North Mankato, and the Fritz children could now attend Holy Rosary School, taught by School Sisters of Notre Dame. Marion and Elizabeth found the SSND habits much easier to copy and the two girls, dressed as sisters, "taught school" to their brothers and neighbors. Sister Marion wrote, "I remember how gentle and loving the sisters were to us. Their kindness to us and their happy spirit is a deep memory." It came as no surprise that Marion entered the aspiranture at Good Counsel Academy in 1939. Elizabeth followed one year later. After high school graduation in 1943, Marion became an SSND candidate and started college classes. As a second-year candidate, she taught 56 second graders at St. Agnes, St. Paul. At her reception into the novitiate in 1945, she was given the name Edward Marie after her mother and father. She later returned to her baptismal name. Sister Marion's entire time of ministry was spent in the state of Minnesota. Following first profession of vows in 1946, she began her classroom teaching ministry at St. Michael School, Madison, where she stayed until 1949. She continued this ministry at St. Dominic, Northfield (1949-51); St. Mary, Worthington (1951-54); St. Andrew, St. Paul (1954-58); St. Philip, Minneapolis (1958-60); St. Mark, Shakopee, where she was also principal (1960-65); and St. Matthew, St. Paul (1965-67). In 1967, she was part of the inaugural staff for the new Epiphany School in Coon Rapids. In 1969, she responded to a need at Providence School of St. John Vianney Parish, South St. Paul. The sisters who staffed the school were leaving to return to their Chicago home territory, and it looked as though the school would be closed. Sister Marion was asked if she would become principal of Providence and she accepted. While there, she worked to convert unused space into an Instructional Materials Center, a forerunner of today's media center with library and instructional audiovisual materials, as well as individual study carrels. She also promoted individualized instruction and learning. A newspaper article featuring the school emphasized the spirit and enthusiasm at Providence. When a Director of Religious Education (DRE) position became available, Sister Marion resigned as principal and served the parish in that position. Sister Marion stayed at Providence/St. John Vianney until 1979. During the 1979-80 school year, Sister Marion studied at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington, earning an MA degree in Biblical Studies and Spirituality. Earlier she had earned a BA in history and English from Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, (1957) and an MA in developmental and remedial reading from St. Thomas College, St. Paul (1965). As the DRE at St. John Vianney, Sister Marion started the first Family Religious Education program in the archdiocese. Following her year at Gonzaga, she worked extensively in parishes with this type of program, helping parents to prepare their children to receive the sacraments and grow in faith at St. Stephen, Anoka (1980-82); St. John the Baptist, Savage (1982-86); Resurrection, Minneapolis (1986-88); St. John Neumann, Eagan (1988-98); and St. Peter, Richfield (1998-2007). She described her time in religious education as "years of challenge in changing times, demanding both creativity and continuing growth." In 1998, she was selected for the archdiocese's Excellence in Catechesis Catechetical Leadership award, which honored exemplary catechetical leaders in the archdiocese. For her Children and Family programs in Richfield, she received the 2005 ACRE Award, given annually to an outstanding religious educator in the archdiocese. While at St. Peter, Richfield, Sister Marion moved into part time work and, in 2007, began a volunteer ministry at St. Richard, Richfield. She also volunteered at Minnesota Life College in Richfield, a school for students with learning disabilities such as ADHD, autism, Asperger's syndrome and related disorders. She wrote about her experience, "This has been a real blessing for me to discover this educational gift to special-needs young people. As a volunteer, I have been so impressed with the spirit among the staff and their care for the students. This has been a beautiful way to end a teaching/education career." In 2011, Sister Marion came to Good Counsel where she actively participated in community and prayer life. Throughout her life, her family was extremely important to her, as evidenced by the frequent visits of family members, especially her sisters. Family members remember her as the organizer of games and activities at family events. She was a willing participant in any type of card game and was also an avid reader. Sister Marion chose a simple theme for her funeral liturgy: Embraced by God. During her lifetime, she experienced this embrace and was able to share this experience with her students and parish families, and her own family. May the fullness of God's embrace be hers now and forever! Sister Mary Kay Ash, SSND