Remembering Sr. Audrey Marie Rothweil

February 16, 1929  – July 7, 2024

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Obituary

“For those who wish to climb the mountain of spiritual awareness, the path is selfless work. For those who have attained the summit of union with divinity, the path is stillness and peace.”

These words from an Eastern spiritual wisdom tradition speak of Sr. Audrey Marie’s desire for communion among the Wheaton Franciscan Sisters and our congregational ministries of love and service. They describe her mountainous range of diverse ministries which she creatively offered others: teaching, serving as the Wheaton Franciscan province secretary, aspirancy directress, several congregational leadership ministries in Rome, to secretary general of the international congregation, and to attending to the history of the congregation in Rome, Italy, Wheaton, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri.

Noted in her historical records that how she wanted to be remembered is as a Franciscan and a daughter of Mother M. Clara, our congregational foundress.

Sr. Audrey Marie was born to her parents Odilia Winklemann and John Rothweil on February 16, 1929, and grew in age and family grace amongst 9 siblings in St. Louis, MO. She entered the Franciscan Sisters, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, in 1948 and professed final vows in 1954. She was given the name Sr. Mary David. She returned to her baptismal name after Vatican II. Among her hobbies were calligraphy, sketching, knitting, crocheting, sewing, reading, painting, music, basket weaving, learning about and visiting new places, vicariously or actually learning new things, walking, nature, and creation.

She now lives the fullness of the light of her cosmic and blessed “IS-ing”.

In the fullness of life may you delight forever