Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sister Natalie Binversie reflects on the life of Sister Mary Fidelia Mindemann. Sister’s gift of mathematics allowed her to serve in many ways. Read the whole reflection here: Franciscan Sister Mary Fidelia’s Reflection
Sister Mary Fidelia completed her High School at Holy Family Academy in 1938. She went on to Holy Family College to receive a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1942 with a Major in Math and a Minor in French. In 1958 she earned a Master’s Degree in Math from Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana. To support the subject areas she was assigned to teach and to keep up-dated Sister Mary Fidelia also took classes throughout her active ministry years at the Universities of Michigan, Vermont, Wisconsin and St. Louis in the subject areas of Chemistry, Physics and Administration.
Sister Mary Fidelia taught in High Schools in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin for 22 years. She was High School Administrator for 20 more years. For 13 years she taught Math at Silver Lake College and worked part time in the Finance Office. She loved working with numbers. She prided herself in having a good mind! She enjoyed telling stories of her teaching days and had high praise and esteem for her former students. Some of them kept in contact with her. Sister Mary Fidelia enjoyed people, cats, crocheting and fishing.
At the time of her jubilee she reflected on the many blessings of her life in Community. God was always with her to answer problems and give solutions to her concerns. One of her concerns was her obligation as an only child to care for her parents. When her parents needed help in old age, they moved to the Nursing Home in Manitowoc that was a part of Holy Family Hospital. Later her Dad moved to St. Mary’s Home. In her words, “Solutions were readily at hand.” Read more: Franciscan Sister Mary Fidelia’s Reflection
Do you enjoy mathematics? Is God calling you to use your gift with numbers for others as a Franciscan Sister? We invite you to click here.
