MILWAUKEE — She made regular visits home to Menomonee Falls from her convent once every six months, but there’s one visit that Sister of St. Benedict Center Margaret Mary Baravella will never forget.
“This young priest hustled down the aisle one day . . . and said, ‘Hi, I’m Fr. Don. Who are you and where are you from?’” said Sr. Margaret Mary, who attended the Wednesday afternoon ordination Mass with Sister of St. Benedict Center Cecilia Cannon and their mutual friend Hester Lewis. “We became fast friends at that moment.”
After that encounter at St. Anthony Parish, Sr. Margaret Mary said she continued to pray for him.
“I prayed for him for all the time that he was away at the missions and really kept my ear to the ground to when he would return,” Sr. Margaret Mary said. “He was surprised. I said to him, ‘I prayed for you always,’ and he said, ‘I can’t believe you remembered me.’ I said, ‘I would not forget you, Father. You are special.’”