 Sister Mary Ann Luth
Feeling the Grace of God at Work
Sister Mary Ann Luth loves people. Throughout her life as
an Ursuline, she has enjoyed the times when she was one-on-one
with those around her, regardless of the circumstances. Today,
Sister treasures her friendships with former students - friendships
that grew from meaningful teacher-student relationships in
years past.
Sr. Mary Ann remembers one former student who told her, “You
taught us what you were before you taught us anything about
English.” Sister also taught religion and she welcomed
the students’ questioning of faith. She could feel the
grace of God working in them as they talked through questions
and the search for answers.
As a teacher, Sr. Mary Ann remembers there were few things
more rewarding than the look on the face of a student as he
or she was “drinking it all in.”
In her role as principal at Ursuline Academy in Kirkwood,
Missouri, there were times when Sister had a student who was
troubled in some way. Without mentioning the time involved,
Sister recalls long talks with one of these students. “We
would talk, talk, talk, until she was more peaceful.” Situations
like this, she recalls, made her work very rewarding.
One father who was a local businessman visited the school
office to attend to a now forgotten piece of business. Sister
remembers that, before he left, he complimented her on the
professionalism of her secretary. She smiled and thanked him,
she says. There was no secretary. Now, as she looks back, Sister
wonders how she managed sometimes. “I was thirty years
old, the principal of a large academy; I also taught part-time,
was yearbook moderator - and I had no secretary!”
Sister Mary Ann has served in a variety of roles in the Central
Province. She taught at Ursuline Academy and Eugene Coyle High
School in Kirkwood, Missouri, in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Then she was principal at Ursuline Academy, Kirkwood. Later,
she taught for a year at Villa Maria Academy in Frontenac,
Minnesota.
In the early 1960s, Sister was Assistant Novice Mistress in
Crystal City and went on to serve as Assistant at the House
of Studies for young sisters at the College of New Rochelle
in New York. Sister Mary Ann served as prioress for the New
Orleans community. She taught at Marquette High School (now
Marquette Catholic) in Alton, Illinois from 1971-73. Then she
was prioress of the Kirkwood, Missouri community before serving
as a member of the provincial administrative team.
In 1978, Sister returned to Marquette where she taught for
two more years. Beginning in 1980, she was alumni coordinator
at Marquette and served in that role until 1993. She began
building the alumni list and started the alumni newsletter.
In her retirement, Sister has been involved with local RCIA
programs in and around the Alton area. Her phone rings regularly
and she enjoys staying in touch with her many friends.
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