Sr. Gabrielle to lead Missionary Benedictine's Norfolk priory

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator

After six years of serving in Sioux City, on Dec. 11 Sister Gabrielle Marie Oestrich moved back to the Immaculata Monastery in Norfolk, Nebraska, where she will serve as the prioress of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters of Tutzing.

“I was extremely humbled to know that the sisters put their trust in me and have confidence that I can help lead our community into the future,” she said. “It is a job that involves being responsible for the sisters’ spiritual well-being as well as their normal needs.”

She was elected to this leadership position on Nov. 30 and will serve a five-year term.
“This has been a quick turnover – much quicker than we normally do it,” said Sister Gabrielle, who noted the speed in transition came from the promotion of the outgoing prioress.

The past prioress, Sister Rosann Ocken, was recently named to the community’s top position as superior general of the Missionary Benedictine Sisters. This native of Carroll will move to Rome and be installed on Jan. 20.

“She will be departing the United States in early January, so in order to have transition time with her and allow her to have some personal time for her to prepare for her new mission, I was already elected and installed,” said Sister Gabrielle, who is prioress for all sisters in Norfolk, Winnebago and Sioux City.

A native of Michigan, Sister Gabrielle began her life as a Missionary Benedictine 30 years ago after retiring from a 26-year career with the United States Air Force.

“I had a calling as a child, a young woman but things went in a different direction,” said Sister Gabrielle. “Later on, it was God’s work when it came down to it.”

She mentioned that in her final time with the Air Force, she was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha. At the time, she was involved in program training as part of the family life ministries of the Archdiocese of Omaha to eventually help out in a parish as a volunteer after retirement.  

“It was at one of the meetings that I met our sisters and was invited to come up to Norfolk to see their monastery and visit with the sisters,” recalled Sister Gabrielle. “It was at that time that the early childhood call was rekindled.”

At that time, she still had two years left in the Air Force. She used that as an opportunity for discernment. In the end, Sister Gabrielle felt God was calling her so upon retirement in 1994 she entered the religious community. Three years later she professed her first vows and her final vows were about another three years later.

“Once I completed my formation period with the sisters and was a professed sister myself, my first real work was at Sacred Heart Parish in Norfolk. I was hired as the director of adult faith formation,” she said. “It was at that time that I completed a master’s degree with Creighton University in spiritual direction and Christian spirituality.”

She then became the novice director for the community. During that time, the Missionary Benedictines were considering forming another community in Sioux City that would be a mission community of the Norfolk priory as is Winnebago. Norfolk is one of 12 priories throughout the world.

The Missionary Benedictines did expand to Holy Cross Parish in Sioux City in 2018 at the invitation of Bishop Walker Nickless. Sister Gabrielle was among the sisters to be assigned to serve in the new mission community.

While serving as superior of the community in Sioux City, she worked in a variety of capacities from working in the parish with adult faith formation, RCIA – now OCIA, spiritual direction, annulment advocate and sacristan for Holy Cross’ St. Michael Church.

During her time in Sioux City, she pointed out that how adult faith formation opportunitiesSister Gabrielle, center, with Sister Pia Portmann and Sister Lumen Odom on the grounds of St. Michael Church, Holy Cross Parish in Sioux City. were presented changed at the hands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sister Gabrielle had video recorded a retreat and then did so with classes. Because that format was so flexible, it stuck long after the pandemic.
“That’s been a successful way of outreach to the parishioners because they can watch the video at their own leisure and not be committed to a specific day or time to come to a group meeting,” said Sister Gabrielle.

In addition to her church-related duties, one of her joys and volunteer service has been as a newborn “cuddler” in the NICU at Unity Pointe Health Center in Sioux City.

“I love doing that. That is one of the things I feel badly about having to leave,” said Sister Gabrielle, who noted she will miss many of the people and ministries at the parish and in the community. “I have fallen in love with Sioux City. It has been a very special time in my life.”

While there is a bit of unknown with her new role as prioress, as Sister Gabrielle heads into the future, she is reminded of trusting in the Lord as she said yes to the delayed vocation to religious life.

“This is all a part of God’s plan. It’s not something I pursued as you would seek a promotion in lay life. That’s not what happens in religious life. The motivation is to respond to whatever God calls us to do.” She acknowledged, “I don’t think I could do any of this if it wasn’t for God’s grace.”

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