Many Sisters of the Precious Blood make art and crafts, and while the forms of their creations vary widely — carving, painting, quilting, singing and many more — they share in common a means of communion with others, and a way to reflect the beauty of God.
Born in Karlsruhe, Baden, Germany, in 1898, Sister Mary Norberta joined the Congregation in 1912 at Maria Stein. Throughout her almost 65 years in the Community, she taught elementary school in Ohio, Arizona and California. She was also known for her oil paintings, including the two pictured here. She used her artistic talents in the classroom which were “the basis for her creativity and originality in her teaching methods,” according to one Sister’s remembrance. In retirement, Sister Norberta tutored students in art at Emma Hall. One mother of a student remembered that “Sister enjoyed sharing her love of nature and her techniques of art, sketching and painting with the children.” Sister Norberta died in 1976 at the age of 78.
Story by Sarah Aisenbrey
Top, painting of a castle on a lake, dated 1939; bottom, painting of swans in a lake in front of a church, undated.
