Life Story

Dearest Ones,

In memory of the Presentation Sisters serving in the Dakotas for 125 years, we will have an Anniversary celebration in July, 2011. Each of us is asked to to write our Life Story. These stories will be placed on display in a scrapbook. I'd like to share mine with you...................

I was the fourth child born to Frank and Mary Ellen Clarke, on October 14, 1927. Since I grew up on a farm near Ethan, SD with two brothers and three sisters, I had lots of opportunity to appreciate the outdoors. I remember doing chores, milking cows, shocking grain, herding cattle and having my very own horse, Daisy. I also helped my mother with cooking and cleaning.

My parents were Catholic, so I have them to thank for an early childhood filled with precious memories of Mass on Sundays, morning and night prayers, First Fridays and special prayers for rain. I remember going to the root cellar during storms, when Mother would light a candle and we would all pray the rosary for safety.

I attended grade school in a one room schoolhouse near our farm, then went on to Ethan Public High School and Notre Dame Junior College in Mitchell. It was there I met the Presentation Sisters. They taught me how to teach school. I began teaching at the age of 17. After teaching for three years in a country school, I began to hear the call to a deeper life with Jesus. "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you," were the words Jesus seemed to be saying to me. I entered the convent at the age of twenty-one.

I obtained a Bachelor's Degree in English and Psychology from Northern State University and a Master's in Counseling from Marquette. For 23 years I taught elementary grades in Milbank, Aberdeen, Sioux Falls and Jefferson, SD. I was appointed principal of Holy Family School, Mitchell, SD and St. Mary's School, Willmar, MN. For 26 years I taught psychology at Presentation College, where I was also counselor and Director of Student Activities. This included advising the Student Senate and supervising the School Newspaper and Yearbook. For three years I was Vocation Director for the Presentation Sisters. As I look back, I loved all the grades I have taught.

In 1977, I launched the first SD Search for Christian Maturity weekend at Presentation College. This is a program in which young people, ages 16 through 25, help other young people to discover the love of Jesus, by giving witness talks and showing them unconditional love. The weekend is all about love. When the young people who come for the first time discover they are loved by complete strangers, it blows their mind! 150 young people attended each Search weekend. Searches were held six times each year. For 20 years I coordinated 100 Search weekends. Each weekend was entrusted to the care of the Blessed Virgin Mary. God did it all - I was only an instrument in His hands. What a blessing it was for my own faith life.

Upon retiring from Presentation College, I worked in St. Paul, MN for ten years, ministering at Sarah's House, a home for Women Victims of Torture from Africa and Asia. For the past few years, I have sent a weekly email to my siblings, including 14 nieces and nephews. It started out with relatives, but they kept asking to add their friends to the mailing list, so the list has now grown to more than 200. This encourages me to continue. I started doing this in order to encourage my relatives to appreciate their faith. Because I see so many young families losing their faith and stop going to church, I feel called by God to do this. The emails are all about our faith and what a privilege is ours to pass this precious gift on to others. With easy access to email, I feel this is something I can still do.

Now, at the age of 84, I have more time to spend praying. I volunteer several days a week at the local hospital and also enjoy taking Meals on Wheels to the poor in the city of Aberdeen.

I long for the gift of life everlasting, but I hope to spend whatever time is left in telling others about the love of Jesus. If I have helped just one person to save their soul, my vocation is worth it. I will never be able to thank God enough for His precious call to serve Him as a Presentation Sister. As Our Lord looks down at the efforts of our Sisters over the past 125 years, I hope He will say something like: "Thank you for making my suffering worthwhile!"

My love and prayers,
Sister Francelle Clarke