Servants of Mary Sr. Doris Ann Samens, left, is pictured with her first cousin Sr. Virginia Schwartz on their profession day in Ladysmith on Aug. 16, 1949. (submitted photo)
Jenny Snarski
Catholic Herald Staff
In a country parish school just west of Bloomer, School Sister of Notre Dame Sr. Rosetta did more than teach students in her multi-grade classroom. Knowing or unknowingly, the beloved sister planted the seeds of religious calling.
“I liked her very much,” Sr. Doris Ann Samens said. “When I was in second grade, I said to my mom and dad I wanted to be a sister just like Sr. Rosetta.” The young girl would wear a towel on her head and play make-believe sister-teacher or pretend to be the priest celebrating Mass with her younger brother.
Not far away, one of her classmates was relating similar sentiments to her own parents. Sr. Virginia Swartz remembers coming home from school “and always saying, ‘I’m gonna be a sister like Sr. Rosetta.’”
These women religious, both born in 1931, are first cousins from the Cooks Valley parish of St. John. They joined the Ladysmith Servants of Mary in 1947 and made their first profession of vows on Aug. 16, 1949. On Sept. 17, 2024, together at Addolorata Villa in Wheeling, Illinois, where Sr. Doris Ann resides, they celebrated their 75th anniversary of religious life.
Sr. Virginia, who lives in Rice Lake and volunteers with the local St. Vincent de Paul food pantry, explained how they ended up as Servite Sisters rather than teaching Sisters of Notre Dame. Her parents were not keen on their young daughter going all the way to Chicago but wanted to support her calling. They knew other women from the local parish who had joined the Servants of Mary in Ladysmith and saw them very happy and doing good work.
“They decided Ladysmith was the place to go, and I’ve never regretted it,” Sr. Virginia stated, seeing it was “the Spirit’s influence” acting through her parents.
Admitting that it was hard for her parents to let her go at such a young age, she never had doubts about the call. Neither did her cousin, who has always felt that being a sister is what she was called to be, though each cousin acknowledged there were difficulties.
For Sr. Doris Ann, it was challenging to be asked to fulfill a role for which she didn’t feel prepared. Already the principal of a large school and only in her 30s, she did not know what to say when the order’s president asked her to consider a role serving as Director of Postulants and Novices.
Recalling how she couldn’t sleep that night after her superior’s phone call, the sister continued, “I went down to the chapel and opened up my Bible to pray. I opened it up to the first chapter of Jeremiah. God is calling him to be a prophet to his people, but he responds that he’s too young. God said ‘I am with you all the way.’” Reading that, with her similar reservations about being too young, convicted her that God would also be with her, and she peacefully accepted the new role.
Sr. Virginia spoke about the importance of prayer as well. While she says she has learned a lot since her earliest days in the convent, “the roots that took hold were that prayer was very important, as were the people I lived with.” From prayer being an obligatory part of her daily schedule in the convent, her prayer is now “more reflective because they mean more praying from my own experiences.” She said she also understands that her ministry can be a prayer, although that doesn’t take away from the need to dedicate time to conversation with God.
The sister shared a reflection from one of Fr. Dennis Mullen’s recent weekend homilies. Noting how, in past years and decades, phrases like “I’m going to say a rosary” or “Fr. So-and-so said Mass,” we have shifted to more correct language: We pray the rosary and a priest celebrates the Mass. “It immediately puts a different sense to what these prayers are all about.”
She also candidly shared that, like a couple who marry, “I found out that there were difficult times, but that comes with life.”
Whether with other sisters or a parish community, “We need each other to share joys and frustrations.” She added how those relationships mutually support, affirm and challenge. Sr. Virginia appreciates the small size of her religious community and how that has allowed the sisters to get to know each other, and their families, so well.
In addition to the Bible and her prayer life, Sr. Doris Ann noted the valued friendships within her religious community, “working and praying together, supporting each other on our journey to heaven.” This is particularly important to her as her parents and her siblings, all younger than her, have passed.
One of her greatest joys was the opportunity to visit the Holy Land. Sr. Doris Ann went in 1981 with some Servite Sisters and a priest friend as part of a larger group of mostly religious. “To be able to walk where Jesus walked, lived, prayed and preached, healed and forgave,” she said made the Scriptures come alive and have much deeper meaning.
Living with a sense of gratitude has also been an intentional and significant element, even though her health has declined in recent years. She said that growing up on a farm has helped her to always have a special love for creation and enjoys sitting on her patio with the sky and flowers just outside her door.
The cousin sisters served in various ministries over the years. Sr. Doris Ann’s last position was Coordinator of Ministry of Care at St. Therese in Palatine, Illinois.
Sr. Virginia values the work she did for years in Appalachia and for almost 50 years in the Diocese of Superior. Her last role was as parish director at St. Ann’s in Cable. A self-described “people person,” she’s been enriched living out her spiritual motherhood in so many relationships and ministries.
She said that, as Servants of Mary, “We were schooled in devotion to Mary … and we’re people of service.” According to the Servite constitutions, members of the order are called to be “Christ-bearers to the world” like Mary. She expounded, “We’re attentive at Cana, “We’re attentive at Cana, compassionate at Calvary and very empowering at Pentecost.”
