for more than two decades. Born in Huron, and raised in Miller, South Dakota, Sister Maribeth initially
thought she’d attend college in Huron as her siblings had, due to the close proximity to family, its good
financial aid package and overall convenience. After she visited it though, she knew that “it was just
not a right fit at all. Something in my heart just wasn’t right.” She was referred by her priest in Miller,
Father Donald Molumby, “to check out Mount Marty College.” He specifically mentioned visiting
the monastery next door too. Maribeth’s family faithfully attended church and followed Benedictine
traditions, such as praying together at breakfast before school every morning. These Benedictine values
served the young woman well in acclimating to life at a Catholic Benedictine college.
That first college visit in 1984 was especially memorable, because there had been torrential
amounts of rain. It was flooding all over Yankton, and the campus was under water as well. The tour
was especially interesting to Sister Maribeth, because she went to all the different buildings by way
of the underground tunnels that networked throughout the grounds. After the tour at Mount Marty,
however she described feeling something different that was special, and unlike what she felt at the
prior college. The atmosphere felt warm, inviting, and like home to her. Even though she didn’t have
a car and was three hours from home, Sister Maribeth decided to attend Mount Marty. It was a little
bit of a hardship at first, since this was her first time away from home, but she soon had a “huge group
of friends that hung out together all the time. It was like a built in support system.” These friends
remained tight throughout their college years.
Being born the youngest into a family with two older brothers, and two older sisters, Sister
Maribeth felt certain she’d follow their footsteps of “getting married, and have twelve kids” of her own,
but God had other plans. During her freshman year at Mount Marty she was invited by Sister Martin
to attend a retreat at the monastery. At first she declined, but a persistent Sister Martin said, “Now don’t
say no so fast.” So the then eighteen year old hesitantly agreed to go, but only if she could bring some
friends. In all a dozen classmates accompanied her the first time! Her thought was, “There was safety in
numbers” she relates with a chortle. This was a wonderful retreat because it brought Sister Maribeth and
her college roommate, who had been “fighting like cats and dogs” so much closer, and they
actually stayed up late every night of the retreat talking and became really good friends by the
end.
In Sister Maribeth’s sophomore year she attended another retreat after feeling deeply
shaken by the unexpected death of her good friend, Father John; the priest for the college
and monastery at the time. Again Sister Martin reached out to Sister Maribeth, saying that
she knew the death had been hard on her, and going to the retreat might give her some time
to help her sort out her feelings about this loss. This time she brought only six others along
however.
Through her increasing exposure to campus ministry and activities at the monastery
such as these annual retreats and involvement with the implementation of the Prayer Partner
Program in her junior year, the young student felt herself becoming more and more drawn
to living a sacred life at the monastery. She learned that the nuns at the monastery were
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