Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Saint Berard (Agenzia Fides) – The lifeless body of 64-year-old Sister Marguerite Bartz, of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS), who work with Native Americans and African Americans, headquartered in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, was found in her Convent of Saint Berard, in the Navajo area of New Mexico, on Sunday, November 1. When the religious did not appear for Sunday Mass, a collaborator went in search for her and came upon her body. According to the FBI, which is investigating the circumstances surrounding her death, the Sister was killed on the night of Saturday, October 31 – Sunday, November 1. The Diocese of Gallup, for the time being, has not commented on the tragic event, as it is awaiting the results of the investigation. The religious sister was known for her great dedication to justice and peace.
Sister Marguerite was born in Plymouth, Wisconsin in 1945. She entered the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS) in 1966 in Beaumont, Texas and took her perpetual vows in 1974. She earned a Bachelor's Degree from Xavier University in New Orleans and a Masters in Religious Education from Loyola University in New Orleans. For over 40 years, Sister Marguerite worked in apostolates in various places: Dorchester, Massachusetts; Lawtell, Louisiana; Guadalupe Indian Mission a Peña Blanca, New Mexico; Saint Joseph in Laguna, New Mexico; Santa Caterina Indian School a Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since 1999, she was at St. Berard's in Navajo, New Mexico. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS) was founded 118 years ago by St. Katherine Drexel (1858-1955), with the mission of spreading the Gospel and Eucharistic life among Native Americans and African Americans. 16 Sisters minister in the Diocese of Gallup. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 03/11/2009)
