In Loving Memory
Sister Elizabeth Holland (formerly Sister James Marie), of St. Scholastica Monastery, died at the Monastery Monday, July 3, 2006. She was born December 13, 1923, in Huntington, West Virginia, and graduated from Phillips High School in Birmingham, Alabama. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the College of St. Scholastica in 1949, a Masters in Religion from St. Mary’s College, South Bend, Indiana, in 1954, and a Masters in Education from Marquette University in 1960. She entered the Duluth Benedictines in 1943 and made her monastic profession in 1947.
Before entering the Monastery, Sister Liz, as she was called, spent a summer as a college student doing catechetical work in Birmingham, Alabama. She taught at Sacred Heart Grade School, St. John’s School, and St. James School, Duluth; Marquette School, Virginia, Minnesota; Holy Family Catechetical School, Eveleth, Minnesota. Over the years she was the principal and teacher at St. Bridget’s School in Minneapolis and at Our Mother of Sorrows School in Cincinnati, Ohio. For nine years, while taking care of her mother, she taught at Our Lady of Sorrows in Birmingham, Alabama.
Later, Sister Liz worked in food service at St. Scholastica Monastery, St. Gertrude’s School, Washington, D.C., and Desert House of Prayer in Tuscon, Arizona. She also did pastoral ministry in Phoenix, Arizona. In her later years she served at the Monastery information desk, was a companion to elderly Sisters, and did craft work for the Monastery gift shop.
At her wake, many spoke about her love for cooking. Her specialty was pastries, though a comment was made that she could also “cook up a mean kettle of spaghetti.” When she was in Washington, D.C., she baked cakes, pies, cookies, and pasties, occasionally sending some to the Archbishop’s (Cardinal Hickey) residence. Once he said that he knew whenever she had been there because his staff was especially pleasant on those days! Another Sister said that Sister Liz was astute enough to bring up the issue of integration to discussion groups in the very white parish and neighborhood where she was teaching. Two other talents mentioned at the wake were her singing and her poetry. A poem and some of her prayers were shared, and a recording of her singing “The Convent Made a Lady out of Lizzie” was played.
Sister Elizabeth was preceded in death by her parents, James Grover Holland and Mary (Machinkowski) Holland; three sisters, Catherine, Ruth, and Irene; and a brother Jim. She is survived by a nephew, John Berchmans Holland and other nephews, nieces, grandnephews and grandnieces, as well as by the Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery.
A wake service was held Friday, July 7, 2006, at 7 p.m., followed by the Mass of Christian burial in Our Lady Queen Peace Chapel, St. Scholastica Monastery, Saturday, July 8, at 11 a.m. with Father Thomas Foster as celebrant. Burial was in Gethsemane Cemetery.
Ministries
Education Ministry
- Sacred Heart Grade School
- St. John’s School, Duluth , MN
- St. James’ School, Duluth, MN
- Marquette School, Virginia, MN
- Holy Family Catechetical School, Eveleth, MN
- St. Bridget’s school, Minneapolis, MN
- Our Lady of Sorrows, Cincinnati, OH
- Our Lady of Sorrow, Birmingham, AL
Administration—Principal
- St. Bridget’s School, Minneapolis, MN
- Our Lady of Sorrows, Cincinnati, OH
Food Service
- St. Scholastica Monastery, Duluth, MN
- St. Gertrude’s School, Washington, DC
- Desert House of Prayer, Tucson, AZ
Pastoral Ministry
- Phoenix, AZ
Prayer Ministry