Sister Annella Zervas

06/03/2026

This past Sunday, the Sister Annella Guild community gathered for a Recollection Day led by Fr. Bob Schreiner, Spiritual Director of the Guild.

These photos capture some of the joy of the day, but they can't fully capture the conversations, prayers, and moments of grace we shared together. 🙏🏻

We laughed, we cried, we prayed, and we opened our hearts to one another.

We shared how God is working in our lives, what He is doing through our suffering, how He is turning our attention back to Himself, and what He may be inviting us to next.

At the Sister Annella Guild, we truly believe God wants to do something in your story through the story of Sister Annella Zervas. ✨

If something here tugs at your heart, if you feel God inviting you to go deeper, or if you're longing for a community of people seeking Him together, we'd love to welcome you into what God is doing through the Guild.

➡️ Comment CENTENNIAL, and we'll send you details about upcoming gatherings and opportunities during this Centennial Year of Sister Annella's death.

05/29/2026

Since the Opening Mass, the Sister Annella Guild has been working to document the many incredible stories of individuals and families touched by the life and witness of Sister Annella. ✨

Over the past two days, members of the Guild and longtime devotees of Sister Annella gathered at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception - Crookston as these stories were captured on video for a special project to be unveiled at the Centennial Celebration on August 8 in Moorhead, MN. 🎥

Learn more about the Centennial Celebration at https://sisterannella.org/centennial-celebration-day/.

05/26/2026

⏰ Last call for registrations for this Sunday’s Recollection Day!

Father Schreiner, who will lead the day, shares these hopes for participants:

“Firstly, to draw closer to Christ. Secondly, to recognize the possibility of their own suffering in life — great or small — contributing to their own holiness of life in, with, and through Christ. Lastly, perhaps they may learn something or gain a new insight about the life of Sister Annella which can bring them more closely to the love of Christ crucified.”

⬇️ Join us for this special day of reflection and growth. Register below.

Recollection Day for Friends of Sister Annella SUNDAY, MAY 31 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM You are warmly invited to a day of recollection, a time set apart for prayer, reflection, and deeper intimacy with the Lord. Together, we will draw inspiration from the Christian witness of Servant of God Annella Zerva...

05/19/2026

✨ Join us for a Day of Recollection

On Sunday, May 31, the Sister Annella Guild invites you to reflect on "The Little Flowers of Suffering" at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Saint Joseph, MN.

Led by Fr. Robert Schreiner, Spiritual Director of the Sister Annella Guild, this mini-retreat will reflect on the holy witnesses of Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB, and St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

The day includes Mass, seminars, lunch, fellowship, and prayer at Sister Annella’s grave. Registration is open through May 26.

👇 Read more and register below.

The Sister Annella Guild is hosting a Recollection Day on Sunday, May 31, 2026. All are invited to register and attend. It will be held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Saint Joseph, Minnesota, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

05/18/2026

Why are people still drawn to the story of Sister Annella 100 years later?

🎙️ Tune in tomorrow to Real Presence Radio Network as Monsignor David Baumgartner, JCL, and Amanda Zurface, JCL, discuss the centennial year of Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB.

📅 May 19
🕥 10:30 AM CT

They’ll share why this anniversary matters, what Sister Annella’s life continues to offer today, and how taking part in the celebrations can impact your own story.

05/13/2026

Sister Annella gave everything to Jesus through Mary—even preparing her heart in advance, lest suffering hinder her from doing so in the moment.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima: the Queen of Heaven, who lovingly urged us to pray the Rosary every day. 🙏🏽

Sister Annella echoes what the Church has received through the centuries from great saints like St. Louis de Montfort, and from the Blessed Virgin Mary herself:

Everything to Jesus through Mary. ✨

05/10/2026

💐Mother’s Day Greeting from the Guild President
By Monsignor David Baumgartner, JCL

Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure officially establishing the second Sunday in May as a national holiday. We know from an article in Minneapolis’ Pioneer Press that news of the new national holiday reached Minnesota that same year. I wonder if the Zervas Meat Market featured a holiday meat bundle for that first national Mother’s Day on May 10, 1914.

In our own homes, Mother’s Day takes on the flavor of whatever is happening in a given year. My own mother will be honored for the second year in a row from her room in the nursing home that has become her home. Far less a participant now, she is mostly an observer of all things, in between naps.

It is hard to imagine a national holiday unfolding today without the prompting of commercials and commerce. Did the Zervas children offer an extra-enthusiastic “thank you” to their mother on May 10, 1914? Did they pray a decade of the Rosary for her? It is hard to know what, if anything, happened.

What we can know is that the motherhood of Emma Zervas was marked by loving service and heroic endurance. She cared for her children in their need. Sr. Annella’s needs proved to be great, even unimaginable. Day after day, Emma washed and wrapped the sick body of her daughter.

Our Mother, the Virgin Mary, received the dead body of our Lord as he was taken down from the cross late on a Friday afternoon. As devout Catholics, Sr. Annella and her mother had surely meditated on this station long before Sr. Annella would take the place of Jesus and Emma would take the place of Mary.

Many around us care for others in extraordinary ways. Through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, we pray that their endurance may be as loving as Emma’s, and that the faithfulness of those who suffer may be like that of Sr. Annella. 🙏

05/06/2026

In October 2025, Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston officially opened the cause for canonization of Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB. Because she was both born and died within the Diocese of Crookston, her cause falls under the competency of his diocese. This makes Sister Annella especially significant not only as a beloved local figure, but also as the first candidate for canonization from both the Diocese of Crookston and the state of Minnesota.

Click below to read the full article:
https://www.fargodiocese.org/news/from-our-backyard-meet-servant-of-god-annella-zervas

05/01/2026

This week, the St. Joseph's School community in Moorhead, MN, gathered for its Dinner Dance Auction. ✨ St. Joseph is the home parish of Servant of God Annella Zervas, OSB, and the Zervas family, and the school Sister Annella and her siblings attended.

Brenda Posch, a member of the Board of Directors for the Sister Annella Guild, was honored for the generosity and service she and her late husband, James “Chip” Posch, have given to the St. Joseph community.

Brenda was presented with a commissioned painting of Sister Annella, which will now hang in St. Joseph School. 🙏

James “Chip” Posch died on November 17, 2025. We praise God for the gift of his life, for Brenda and Chip’s marriage, and for Brenda’s continued witness and service.

Pictured below is Brenda with her and Chip’s children and grandchild.

Read more about Brenda and Chip’s early journey here:
https://sisterannella.org/is-moorhead-my-hometown-the-birthplace-of-minnesotas-first-saint/

How has Sister Annella’s story impacted your life, your family, your marriage, or the way you serve your community? Share below or email us at ➡️ [email protected].