Meet Sister Mildred Busch

Long before social media made information so available, God chose for me Sacred Heart Monastery. Therein, began the journey. I didn’t know the difference between monastic and active orders…I didn’t even know there was a difference! I was born in Luverne, MN and am the fourth child of Mildred (Kennedy) and Walter Busch. As a child or a teenager, I never gave any thought to entering religious life; it wasn’t on my list of possibilities. Then I came to Mount Marty College. Many, if not most of the teachers and administrators were Religious Women from “across the parking lot.” Even though I knew nothing about the vows, monastic prayer life, and the multiple ministries the Sisters had, I knew without a doubt that I wanted their life. Community life among the Sisters drew me to a way of life I knew little about.

As I reflect back, I realize that what I saw in the Sisters at Mount Marty were happy, loving, caring, prayerful women, and I wanted to be one of them. Then this monastic life, this community life became ingrained in me through prayer, study, example, and life experiences. The beauty of the Liturgy of the Hours, the Eucharistic, and the Holy Rule led me to know for certain this was “my way.” In the early years “being with the Sisters” held great joy for me, and then in 1963 I made vows and became “one of the Sisters.”

Today, being a monastic holds special meaning. This monastic vocation, begun 55 years ago, has been filled with journey and mystery. The prayer “Journeys into Mystery” best portrays my monastic life. I wrote this prayer originally in 1998…presently I have 3 prayers with this title, a true sign that the journey continues.

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