More than 100 guests gathered on May 9 for a fundraising event for the Nicholas Marnach House and a celebration honoring Mother Alfred Moes and the Luxembourg roots of the Franciscan sisters, whose generations of service helped shape Rochester, Minnesota. 

The morning began with a guided tour by Sister Marisa McDonald and Sister Christine Stanoch at Calvary Cemetery where American and Luxembourg flags marked the graves of 67 Franciscan sisters of Luxembourg heritage, including Moes.

From there, the gathering moved to Assisi Heights, with welcoming remarks by Luxembourg Ambassador to the United States Nicole Bintner-Bakshian, who framed the day as a celebration of enduring ties between Luxembourg and Minnesota.

Afternoon presentations included Sister Tierney Trueman sharing the history of Moes and the Franciscans in Rochester, reflecting on how one Luxembourg-born woman’s faith and resolve helped shape lives far beyond her own time. 

Born Maria Catherine Moes in Remich, Luxembourg, Moes became one of the most consequential figures in the Rochester’s history. Through her collaboration with William Worrall Mayo, MD, after the 1883 tornado, foundations were laid for St. Mary’s Hospital in 1889 and, with it, one of the defining chapters in Rochester’s civic and healthcare story. 

Next, Sister Ramona Miller offered reflections on the Franciscan nursing tradition and its educational legacy in Rochester and beyond.

In a tribute to Mary Nilles, a Rollingstone historian and champion of Luxembourg heritage and preservation of Marnach House, Luke Niles spoke about his aunt before unveiling a plaque that will honor her at the Marnach House in Elba. A video was shown of Nilles telling the renovation story of the Marnach House. Nilles died in 2020.

Following the formal presentations, attendees took guided tours of Assisi Heights Heritage Hall and Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel. The event also featured a farm-to-table lunch, Mass presided by the Rev. John Abts, a Franciscan priest with Luxembourgish ancestry, and dinner, which included Bouneschlupp, a Luxembourg’s classic green bean and potato soup. 

Thanks to Kristin Speltz for sharing this event recap with Lion Tales.