M Aquin Svodoba

Mankato Mortuary
1001 N. Riverfront Drive
Mankato, Minnesota 56001

Our beloved Sister M. Aquin Svoboda, 97, died peacefully at 3:40 a.m., Thursday, October 3, 2013, in Notre Dame Health Care, Our Lady of Good Counsel, Mankato, Minnesota. In her autobiography, Sister Aquin described her devotion to her guardian angel. It is fitting that she died early on the day following the feast of the Guardian Angels.

The funeral Mass for Sister Aquin, with Father James Barry as presider, will be at 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, October 9, in Good Counsel Chapel, followed by burial in our cemetery. The vigil service will be at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 8. We extend our sympathy to her nieces, including Sister Lucille Matousek, SSND, and nephews and their families, her former colleagues and students, and her sisters in community, the School Sisters of Notre Dame. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Anna (Moravec) Svoboda, seven sisters, Josephine Bandas, Anna Cumming, Agnes Matousek, Magdalen Fischer, Margaret Svoboda, Sister Judith Svoboda, SSND, and Christine Maxwell, and one brother, William.

Sister Aquin (Elizabeth Svoboda) was born November 8, 1915, on the family farm northwest of Silver Lake. She told a special story of her baptism in a 2010 Christmas letter: "My parents told me that the entire month was cold and stormy and the roads were impassible. Therefore my baptism was delayed until December 8. The pastor of St. Joseph Church had baptized my six sisters prior to baptizing me. After administering the sacrament of baptism to me he told my parents and godparents that he would place me on the Marian altar and dedicate me to God and His mother, Mary. He implied that I would become a religious sister some day. My mother never told me this story until much later when I had become a School Sister of Notre Dame."

Prolonged periods of illness marked Elizabeth's early childhood, causing her parents great concern. However, following the removal of her tonsils on her sixth birthday, she experienced good health and she was able to enter first grade the next fall. She attended public school because her parish did not have a Catholic school. When she was in seventh grade, her parents sent Elizabeth and her younger sister to St. Adalbert School in Silver Lake, conducted by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. With the exception of a few Saturday religion classes, this was her first contact with sisters. She wrote, "My first impression of the sisters was a most favorable one and I soon longed to be one myself." She continued, "Due to my mother's training, I grew up with a tender devotion to my guardian angel and would never omit saying my prayers to him before a little altar I had arranged in my bedroom."

Elizabeth graduated from eighth grade in 1930 and entered the aspiranture at Good Counsel Academy, Mankato, that fall. During the spring of her junior year she and six other aspirants asked to enter the SSND candidature the next fall. She and three others returned to Good Counsel that summer, finished their high school course work, and entered the candidature on August 27, 1933. She took college classes during her first year in the candidature and taught second grade at St. Matthew School, St. Paul, during her second year. She was received into the novitiate on July 16, 1935, and given the name Sister Mary Aquin. Following profession in 1936, she spent one year studying at the Dubuque Franciscan motherhouse and then began her teaching ministry.

Between 1936 and 1958, Sister Aquin taught grades ranging from intermediate through senior high school at the following schools: in South Dakota - St. Joseph, Grenville; in Minnesota - St. Anthony, Lismore; St. Dominic, Northfield; Good Counsel Academy, Mankato; St. Anne, Wabasso; SS. Cyril and Methodius, Minneapolis; and St. Michael, St. Michael; in North Dakota " St. Benedict, Strasburg and SS. Peter & Paul, New Hradec; and in Iowa " Notre Dame, Cresco. She earned her B.A. from Loras College, Dubuque, in 1941 and an MA in Sacred Doctrine from St. Mary's University, Notre Dame, Indiana, in 1966. In addition, she earned a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine certificate from Loras College in 1956 and a Certificate of Theology from Mount Mary College, Milwaukee, in 1960.

Sister Aquin described the next stage of her life: "As far back as I can remember in my religious life, my priority was to teach religion. In 1958 I was one of the first sisters in the Mankato Province to become involved full-time in Religious Education (CCD)." She was one of three to open Christ the King Catechetical Center in Medford, Minnesota, and remained there until 1960. Following a year of teaching at St. Joseph School, Red Wing, she served full-time at religious education centers and parishes in Minnesota, including those in Pipestone, Franklin, Fridley, Prior Lake, St. Michael, Minnesota Lake, Mapleton, New Richland, Windom, Mankato and North Mankato. In 1984 she became a pastoral minister and director of religious education at St. Joseph Parish, Jasper, where she stayed until 1996. She used a variety of creative techniques to enhance her religious instruction, and several of them were published in Today's Catholic Teacher. She worked with all ages from pre-school through high school. In 1995 Sister Aquin's job description listed nineteen points of responsibility including religious education, ministry to the elderly, liturgical coordination, and administrative and secretarial duties.

At the end of her tenure in Jasper in June 1996, she was awarded the Bishop's Medal of the Diocese of Winona in recognition of her twelve years of service. In an article in the Courier, the pastor was quoted calling Sister Aquin "an anchor for the parish. For twelve years she took care of the needs of the parish by visiting the elderly and sick, organizing prayer groups, coordinating religious education programs and representing St. Joseph's at ecumenical gatherings." Bishop John Vlazny wrote, "You have been a good and faithful servant of the mission of Christ in our western deanery and I assure you that your life and ministry among us will never be forgotten."

Sister Aquin's final parish service was in East Chain (1996-2003). Here she worked with only an eight-point job description that again covered many aspects of parish life. Failing eyesight led to retirement at Good Counsel in 2003, but she didn't really retire. She shared teaching ideas and art materials with sisters who were teaching in area schools. She turned her room in Theresa Hall into a shrine for the Infant of Prague, for whom she had special devotion, and invited visitors to sign her guest book. For as long as she was able (up until about a month before her death) she conducted a Saturday morning class in Notre Dame Hall for sisters called "Friendly Visits." She prepared diligently for this class and often had handouts ready for the participants.

In Scripture we read, "I am going to prepare a place for you." For almost ninety-eight years, Sister Aquin lived a full life preparing herself and others for that place promised by Jesus. May she now enjoy her place in eternal life " and continue sharing tips and ideas!