Benedictine Sister Mary (Jeanette) Maves, 78, died March 30 at Saint Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud. The Eucharist of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, at 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 Wednesday, April 2, at 3 p.m. for a prayer service 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 1:30 p.m. until the time of the funeral on Thursday, April 3.
The second of six children of Robert and Janet (Traynor) Maves, she was born on July 3, 1946, in Plum City, Wisconsin. She attended Rock Elm Country School and Elmwood Area School and High School in Elmwood, Wisconsin. Sister Mary entered Saint Bede’s Monastery in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Sept. 25, 1964, was received into the novitiate as Sister Jeanette on July 13, 1965, made first monastic profession July 11, 1966, and perpetual monastic profession on July 11, 1970.
Sister Mary received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire and a master’s degree in religious education at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She also studied at Viterbo College Extension Program in Eau Claire and attended workshops in Duluth, Minnesota, and Atchison, Kansas.
She served in elementary education, teaching at St. Thomas More in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and St. Patrick’s Parish School, Sacred Heart and St. Olaf in Eau Claire. She served as subprioress at Saint Bede Monastery from 2004 to 2008 and as house coordinator from 2008 to 2010. She also served on the Community Council for several terms, as well as on the Vocation Committee and as the formation director of temporary professed. She moved to Saint Benedict’s Monastery in August 2010 and had a special ministry of prayer for those who were sick.
Sister Mary is survived by her Benedictine community, two brothers, Jon and Michael (Kathy), her sister, Jane (Art) Seibel, and nieces, nephews and a grandnephew. She was preceded in death by her parents, a sister at childbirth, and her brother, Frank.