Go with God, Sister Gene Marie Moellering, C.PP.S.
A Tribute to an Extraordinary Friend of the Missionary Childhood Association

Written by Msgr. Francis X. Blood
Director, Pontifical Mission Societies, Archdiocese of St. Louis
May 6, 2013

The first time I met Sister Gene Marie Moellering, C.PP.S. was in December of 2004. She had invited me to St. John the Baptist Grade School in South St. Louis where she had served as Mission Moderator for many years of the Holy Childhood Association (HCA, now called the Missionary Childhood Association). The occasion of my visit was the Christmas bazaar. Students gave a donation for Christmas gifts that they could purchase for family or friends at reduced prices. All the items were donated by parishioners and families whose children attended the school. All the proceeds were donated to the Holy Childhood Association.

Sister Gene Marie took me by the hand and showed me around the room where the Christmas bazaar was held in the school building. She introduced me to volunteers who staffed the bazaar. Her face lit up when the children began to arrive in the room. Her excitement and joy came from knowing that this mission project for the HCA would net over $1,000.00. This was one way at St. John the Baptist that “children helping children”, the motto of HCA, was put into practice. Sister Gene Marie instilled in her students a great love of the missions.

When we had a moment to ourselves, she told me: “When I was a young Sister I prayed about going to the missions. That was in 1937. I was afraid to do so because my health has always been delicate. But I told the Lord, ‘Lord, since I cannot go to the missions, I will spend the rest of my life working for the missions.’ Sister Gene Marie spent over 75 years in religious life until her death on May 2, 2013.

Besides the annual Christmas bazaar, the students had an annual mission carnival. Proceeds were given to the HCA and also to support the missionary work of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood who served in Bolivia, in various areas. Some of the Sisters worked at Maria Reina (Mary Queen) Parish in La Paz, a parish built and staffed by the St. Louis priests who served in the Latin America Apostolate in Bolivia. One sister served in the Prelature of Coro Coro, in a village where she trained catechists among the Aymara, one of 38 indigenous peoples of Bolivia. Various other sisters helped care for abandoned children in various group homes for children in Cochabamba.

Because of Sister Gene Marie’s love of the missionary work of the Church, her students learned to pray and sacrifice for missionaries worldwide. I observed her students’ love of the missions in their comments to her about how they had saved and donated to the missions. “See, Sister, what I have for the missions!” one little boy said as he passed her in the hallway. He handed her a pocketful of coins, given gladly from his efforts to help children in missionary territories of the world.

A few years ago, when Sister Gene Marie was told that it was time for her to retire to the Motherhouse in O’Fallon, Missouri over 50 miles away from St. John the Baptist School, I asked the principal of the school for permission to celebrate a Mass for the entire school to thank God for Sister Gene Marie, and express my gratitude on behalf of the HCA. A few years prior to that occasion, I had honored her with a plaque as an outstanding Moderator of HCA in the entire Archdiocese of St. Louis. She was the first Mission Moderator that I honored for such dedication to the HCA.

As the obituary notice prepared by the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O’Fallon, Missouri observed: Although small of stature, Sr. Gene Marie had a large heart as she found love enough for hundreds of children in her kindergarten and primary classrooms … Whether she served as teacher, principal or librarian, she combined her passion for the children with her love of the missions. At St. John the Baptist where she spent a total of 38 ½ years, she combined her loves and worked tirelessly for the missions with the carnivals that featured her hand towels. The work she began is carried on by the St. John the Baptist Mission Club.”

Sister Gene Marie, go with God! May you hear Our Lord say to you: “Well done, good and faithful servant! Enter into the joy of your Lord!”