Sister Marie Ambrose Peters, SSND

(née Bernice Marie Peters)

First Profession August 2, 1954

Motherhouse

St. Louis, Missouri

On Mother's Day, May 10, 1931, the third child and first girl was born to

Catherine (née Heinkebein) and Theodore Peters in Leopold, Missouri. She

was baptized on the same day and again on May 24, 1931, at St. John Church,

Leopold, Missouri. She was named Bernice Marie (Berniece Mary). The Peters

family lived on a large farm three miles from Leopold. Here, she spent many

happy days with her six brothers and two sisters. She grew up with a great love

of nature and had many daring adventures with her brothers.

Bernice attended Leopold Public Elementary School. After months of

begging, her parents consented to her attending St. Mary High School in Cape

Girardeau, Missouri. With several other children, she made the daily 39-mile

round trip. At St. Mary's, she met the School Sisters of Notre Dame. In her

senior year, one of the sisters asked her if she ever thought of becoming a

sister. She replied, "Yes." The sister told her that two candidates were coming

from Sancta Maria in Ripa, St. Louis, the next day for a vocation talk and

encouraged Bernice to attend. She was struck by the Candidate's closing

remark: "Girls in the world will tell you that they love a man, well, I do too. His

name is Jesus Christ." These words remained with her during the following

months and she decided to enter the School Sisters of Notre Dame.

Bernice spent two years convincing her parents that she really wanted to go

to the convent. Towards the end of the second year, while splitting wood and

thinking of the Candidate's words, she missed her aim and the ax hit her finger.

She took this as a sign and when the bone healed, she told her mother that she

was going to enter. Her mother consented and she entered the candidature at

Sancta Maria in Ripa on August 30, 1951. She was received into the novitiate on

August 1, 1953, and given the name, Marie Ambrose. Profession of first vows

was on August 2, 1954, and final vows on August 2, 1960.

Sister Marie Ambrose received a bachelor's degree in history from the former

Notre Dame College, St Louis, in 1956 and a master's degree in history from St.

Louis University, St. Louis, in 1967.

Sister Marie Ambrose taught for 10 years at Holy Family, Freeburg, Missouri;

Notre Dame High School, St. Louis, and Notre Dame High School, Quincy,

Illinois. She was a principal for 27 years at Immaculate Heart of Mary, St.

Louis, Missouri; Duchesne High School, St. Charles, Missouri, and Notre

Dame Elementary School, St. Louis.

Sister Marie Ambrose was a tutor in the Notre Dame Tutorial Center at Sancta

Maria in Ripa for seven years and a teacher in the Notre Dame Learning Center

for two years. She was the building coordinator for Maria Center on the Sancta

Maria in Ripa campus for 11 years. She performed volunteer service at Sancta

Maria in Ripa for five years. In 2010, she was missioned to Veronica House, The

Sarah Community, Bridgeton, Missouri, and then to Anna House in 2011. She

passed away in the early morning of May 23, 2020 at Anna House.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a burial service was held at the switchboard

entrance to Sancta Maria in Ripa on May 29, 2020. She is survived by two

brothers, Theodore and Mark of Marble Hill, Missouri, and a sister, Bonnie

Diebold of Dresden, Tennessee. Family members, classmates and sisters

gathered for the burial prayers. She was buried in the Sancta Maria in Ripa

cemetery. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date. Sister Marie

Ambrose was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Marjie Ann Eftink;

her brothers: Francis, Ambrose, Januarius and Matthew.

In 1987, Sister Marie Ambrose was honored at the National Catholic

Educational Association convention as one of the 40 outstanding Catholic

educators in the United States. At that time, she shared these thoughts

regarding Catholic education: "I believe that the Catholic schools of the

future will be vital in providing the moral stability, the sense of the sacred, the

direction of scientific research for our country. The secret to how effective these

schools will be is locked in the heart of each parent, teacher and pastor. The

value these persons place on the Catholic school and the sacrifices they are

willing to bring to keep it vital will spell the success or failure for the system."

She is described as an excellent educator, administrator, a good listener and

a firm but fair disciplinarian. During her years at Notre Dame Elementary,

she secured support from the local business community for scholarships for

financially needy students. When she resigned from her position as principal,

the Sister Marie Ambrose Peters Scholarship Fund was established.

Sister Marie Ambrose was deeply devoted to her family and friends. She shared

her talents as an educator, principal, tutor and Maria Center coordinator

with her colleagues and those who were touched by her ministry. May she now

rejoice with her God and family members who have preceded her into eternal

life!

School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province

Eternal rest grant unto her, O Lord!