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Sisters celebrate Golden Jubilees
The joy and commitment of Benedictine spiritual life will be the theme as Sr. Angela Uhlorn and Sr. Mary Marge Goeckner commemorate five decades of service in a Golden Jubilee at the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, ID, on Saturday, June 18, at 1:30 pm. 
“I entered St. Gertrude’s because the sisters were always there—friendly, good teachers, ready to answer my questions,” said Goeckner, who is originally from Keuterville, ID, and attended St. Gertrude’s Academy as a student. “And even in hard times, they were happy people.” Goeckner, along with Uhlorn, first made vows of profession in June 1955. She was elected prioress of the monastery after more than 20 years of teaching in places such as Boise, Pocatello and Minot, ND. She later served for nearly 20 years as chaplain to several hospitals in Spokane, WA, including Sacred Heart Medical Center, Valley General Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital and Holy Family Hospital.  Uhlorn
entered the Monastery of St. Gertrude in 1953 at 18. A lifelong educator
and pastoral associate, she taught in several schools throughout Idaho,
including Lewiston, Genesee, Cottonwood and Nampa. After a teaching assignment
at the Colegio San Carlos in Bogota, Colombia, Uhlorn later initiated the
monastery’s parish ministry program by serving as pastoral associate to
parishes in Caldwell, Boise and Jerome, ID, among other places. She especially
enjoyed her work with Idaho’s Hispanic community.
“I remember feeling like I wanted to embrace the whole world and somehow I sensed that monastic life would give focus and direction to that expansive yearning,” said Uhlorn of Ferdinand, ID. “It seemed to me that the sisters influenced many people in positive ways through healing and teaching, and I wanted to participate in that.” Surrounded by friends, family and members of St. Gertrude’s, Goeckner and Uhlorn will renew their vows of profession during a mass at the monastery as part of their Golden Jubilee celebration.  |
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