Born July 24, 1944, to Frank and Mary (Wallace) Bongert, Sister Monica Rose Bongert is the third of five children. Home visits from her aunt, Sister Rosanne Wallace, and cousins Sisters Ambrose, Louis and Bertilla Nichols strongly attracted her to the Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross.
Sister Monica attended St. Vincent Catholic Grade School in Oshkosh. She continued her education at the pre-novitiate of the Sisters of St. Francis operated on the property of Our Lady of Good Help Chapel in New Franken (now known as the Shrine). From there she moved to the novitiate at the convent on Bay Settlement Road.
After professing vows she completed a bachelor's degree in elementary education at St. Norbert College in De Pere. She taught for ten years in various Catholic schools while working on a master's in educational administration at UW Madison. This degree led to serving as principal along with teaching for 17 years.
In 1992 Sister's ministry moved in a new direction. Clinical pastoral education at St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee and a master's degree in pastoral care and counseling from Loyola University in New Orleans prepared her for ministry to the sick and dying, their families and co-workers. Sister has worked for 21 years in hospital chaplaincy in the South and in Northeastern Wisconsin; she currently is ministering at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.
"These have been blessed years. They have passed swiftly and joyfully."
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