Sister Maria Canisie ND 4807 PDF Download
Gerarda Maria SKRABANJA
Maria Regina Province, Coesfeld, Germany
Date and Place of Birth: 01 May 1934 Abdissenbosch
Date and Place of Profession: 10 August 1955 Tegelen
Date and Place of Death: 14 December 2025 Tegelen
Date and Place of Funeral: 18 December 2025 Tegelen, Convent Cemetery
“Be watchful, for you do not know on what day the Lord will come.” Mt 24:42
We prayed the above-mentioned text regularly during this Advent season, without realizing that the Lord would so suddenly call Sister Maria Canisie to Himself. Gerda, as she was called in her family, was the fifth child of the Skrabanja family. Her father was seriously ill and died nine days after her birth. Her mother was left with three boys and two girls in a time marked by great poverty. She managed bravely, and Sister Maria Canisie always spoke of it with great admiration.
She was the youngest in the family and had a strong will, which she maintained throughout her life. At the age of five, she attended the kindergarten run by our sisters in Waubach and then went to the elementary primary and secondary school there. Afterwards, she attended the home economics school run by our sisters in Hoensbroek.
At the age of 18, she joined our congregation, and after her profession, she completed training as a nurse at the hospital in Venlo. After graduating, she worked for a short time in the nursing home in Wessem and in the Maria Auxiliatrix Sanatorium in Venlo. She then went to Amsterdam to care for the elderly. On the same premises, our sisters also worked in a children’s home. Sr. Maria Canisie had to regularly perform her duties there as a nurse. One day, a baby named Fransje was brought in and entrusted to her care. When she spoke of it, her whole face would light up. It cost her many tears when Fransje returned to his parents.
After having already lived in Rome from 1960 to 1964, she went there again in 1993 and worked at Villa Maria Regina. In addition to her hard work in the guesthouse, she also got to know the city and the Vatican like the back of her hand. If she wanted to attend a Mass with the Pope and was scheduled to work at the reception desk, she would ask Sister Maria Antonitis to cover for her so she could go. For the many guests, Sister M. Canisie was a good tour guide who knew exactly which destinations were worth visiting and which bus to take.
After Villa Maria Regina had been sold in December 2004, she moved to the motherhouse and continued to contribute in many areas for another nine years, especially at the portress, where she often attended to the phone and doorbell while peeling fruit or cracking nuts for the community. She was also involved in the care and support of Sister Maria Hildegara, who passed away in the motherhouse in January 2006 at the age of 104. Sister Maria Canisie loved flowers and animals, and she was often seen in the garden accompanied by one of the motherhouse cats.
After her return to Tegelen in January 2014, she took on the care of the refectory, which she did with great dedication until she was no longer able to. She also became friends with the goats and donkeys that lived on the grounds of the community in Tegelen. In her later years, she enjoyed reading and listening to music, especially classical music. This brought her peace, which she also needed, as her heart was giving her trouble. The walk to the chapel was exhausting, and even going to the dining room was difficult for her.
On the afternoon of Sunday, December 14, the Lord called Sister Maria Canisie to Himself; now she may rest with Him.
