Sister Maria Hubertine ND 4777 PDF Download
Gisela Germann
Maria Regina Province, Coesfeld/Germany
Date and Place of Birth: 05 June 1934 Bahlen near Dinklage, County Vechta
Date and Place of Profession: 30 August 1955 Coesfeld
Date and Place of Death: 15 April 2020 Coesfeld, Kloster Annenthal
Date and Place of Funeral: 21 April 2020 Coesfeld, Convent Cemetery
“The Lord is my Shepherd”. Psalm 23
Sister Maria Hubertine, Gisela Germann, grew up on a farm with her younger brother and four younger sisters. The parents gave them a safe home marked by deep faith.
From 1940 – 1945, Gisela attended the basic elementary and secondary school in Bahlen. After that, she attended the middle school in in Dinklage for one year and from 1946 – 1952 the private high school for girls of the Sisters of Notre Dame in Vechta. Gisela kept this time at the boarding school in good memory. She came to know the Sisters and was impressed by their simple lifestyle, their prayer life, and their cheerfulness. The question arose in Gisela whether religious life could also be a possibility for her.
In 1952, she asked for admission to the postulancy in our Congregation in Ahlen /Westphalia. The investment took place in the Liebfrauenburg in Coesfeld where the center of the Westphalian province had been moved. During her novitiate and after her first profession, Sr. M. Hubertine got to know different houses and ministries in our Congregation. She completed several training programs for kindergarten teachers, educators, and handicraft teachers. This enabled her to minister in different institutions, such as kindergartens, children homes, and boarding schools. Social changes and new educational methods challenged her to find the right measure of freedom for the children and youth entrusted to her. The verse from psalm 23, “Thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me,” was help, encouragement, and a source of strength for her.
From 1985 – 1991, Sr. Maria Hubertine lived in the motherhouse community in Rome. After initial difficulties, these years turned out to be a blessing for her in her later life. As it says in the psalm, the Lord blessed her abundantly. She experienced an international community, learnt Italian, and improved her English. She came to know the sights of Rome. Her enthusiasm and her profound knowledge enthralled many visitors whom she guided around the “eternal city.” In the community, her creative and artistic skills became evident, especially on feast days. She loved playing the roles of Mother Julie and of Saint Nicholas; her humorous performances at carnival also delighted the Sisters.
In 1991, Sr. M. Hubertine returned to Kloster Annenthal, where she was entrusted with different tasks until 2015. For 10 years, she inspired pilgrim groups from different countries for the history of our Congregation in Coesfeld. Visits to important founding sites and to the inheritance center were carefully prepared. In this way, Sister Maria Hubertine contributed to a better understanding of the history of our Congregation. The pilgrim sisters gratefully appreciated her explanations. In 2015, she completed her beloved ministry for the pilgrims. The international community from Haus Emmaus took over this important task.
In her “retirement,” Sr. Maria Hubertine spent more time on personal interests: She loved reading, taking photos, working on the computer, and participating in the programs offered by the Social Service, which she enriched by her contributions. She was content and grateful to the community.
During the last weeks, Sr. Maria Hubertine’s her health changed. She was diagnosed with an incurable disease. In this situation the Lord was her Good Shepherd again; on Wednesday of Easter Week, he called her home into his Kingdom of glory. We believe that Sister Maria Hubertine is now singing the Easter Alleluia with all the angels and saints in heaven.
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