Benedictine Sister Annette (Margaret Mary) Brophy, 96, died Aug. 31 at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 9, at the Sacred Heart Chapel, Saint Benedict’s Monastery, St. Joseph, with burial of cremated remains in the monastery cemetery. Friends may call at Saint Scholastica Convent on Friday, Sept. 8, for a prayer service at 3 p.m. followed by visitation until 4:15 p.m., or for a vigil prayer service at 7 p.m. at Saint Benedict’s Monastery. Visitation continues at 9 a.m. until the time of the funeral on Saturday, Sept. 9.
She was born Aug. 7, 1927, to Edward William and Annette (Beninato) Brophy in Ogden, Utah, where she attended St. Joseph Grade School and Ogden High School. She entered Saint Benedict’s Monastery Sept. 11, 1954, was received into the novitiate June 15, 1955, as Sister Annette, made first monastic profession July 11, 1956, and perpetual monastic profession on July 11, 1959. She celebrated her golden jubilee in 1996 and her 60thh anniversary of profession in 2006.
Sister Annette received a bachelor’s degree in music with minors in English and secondary education at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph. She studied at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, receiving a certificate in English as a foreign language and attended the Language School in Rappangi, Tokyo, Japan.
Sister Annette served as an educator in Holy Family, Sauk Centre, St. Mary, Breckenridge, St. John, Meire Grove, and in the Catholic High School in Muroran, Japan, where she taught English and music. At Saint Benedict’s High School in St. Joseph, Sister Annette taught music and English for foreign students. She was music librarian and taught voice at the College of Saint Benedict, composed music and gave private music lessons, as well as being a freelance photographer and taking pictures for the community.
With script writer, Benedictine Sister Galen Martini, she created two multi-media programs published by Liturgical Press: “Peace, the Urgent Dream,” and “Journey of Conversion.” Together with Sister Mara Faulkner, Sister Annette co-authored a book published in 1998 about Benedictine Women across the world, “Born of Common Hungers: Benedictine Women in Search of Connections,” Notre Dame Press. She also taught photography, writing and journal making in the Spirituality Center at Saint Benedict’s Monastery.
In addition to her Benedictine community, Sister Annette is survived by her sisters, JoAnne (+Charles) Dean and Annette (+Frank) Jacobs, her sister-in-law, Marilyn Brophy, as well as nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Tim and Philip (+Betty), and her sisters, Dorothea (+Clayton) Giroux and Joyce (+Tom) Brennan.
Please direct memorial gifts to the Sisters of the Order of Saint Benedict Outreach Ministries.