Sister Helen Ann Brake, 94, died on August 9, 2021, at St. Francis Convent, Little Falls, Minn.
Helen Ann Brake was born on July 23, 1927, in the small town of Ward Springs, Minn. She was baptized at St. Bernard’s Church in Ward Springs. She was the third of 10 children born to the late Frank and Caroline (Feldewerd) Brake. She had four brothers and five sisters. She attended District 84 Ward Springs elementary school.
Her aunt, Sister M. Josephine Brake, was a Little Falls Franciscan Sister and it was through her that Helen Ann became acquainted with the Franciscan Sisters and entered the Franciscan Community on September 1, 1945. On August 12, 1946, she was accepted into the novitiate and was given the name Sister Mary Lucy. (She returned to her baptismal name, Helen Ann, in 1967.) She made her first profession of vows on August 12, 1948, and her final vows on August 12, 1951. She was a Franciscan Sister for 75 years.
Sister Helen Ann ministered as a housemother at St. Cloud Children’s Home. She loved being with young people. She had a special concern and care for them and spent many hours listening to them and giving advice and counsel. In turn, young people felt a special attraction to her. Following that, she served as a dormitory prefect at St. Francis High School in Little Falls. During that time, she spent much of the summers as a dietary aide for Camp Foley, a summer camp for teenagers in Pine River.
She then ministered as a bookkeeper, receptionist and secretary at St. Francis Home in Breckenridge. She did this ministry from August 1967 to September 1968, and from December 1971 to February 1976. She did similar ministry at St. Francis Convent in Little Falls for several years. In 1986 she moved to Onamia and served as secretary and receptionist for the Crosier Seminary as well as for the Mille Lacs Health Care System. She returned to Little Falls and served as secretary to Wholistic Growth Resources. Following that, she spent several years on the staff of the St. Francis Convent Development Office, retiring in May 2011.
Sister Helen Ann was a strong community person who appreciated the privilege of sharing life with her sisters. She valued simplicity and time for prayer as pillars in her life. She was generous with her time, always helping wherever she saw a need. She enjoyed meeting people and spending time with them. As part of the Development Office staff, she faithfully wrote letters to the donors, treating each of them as a special friend.
She loved nature, especially flowers. Each spring found her looking through seed catalogs and deciding where she would add new flowers to the several beds she cared for yearly. In the summers she could often be found in the raspberry patch and the garden.
In reflecting on 50 years as a religious sister, she said, “I continue to live the Gospel and to be aware of God’s presence as I await His coming.”
She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings: Marie Schmidt, Bernard, Irene Perish, Lawrence, Eleanor Froelich, John, Henry, Clara Rahn and Laura Zenzen. Survivors include her nieces and nephews and her Franciscan Community.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Francis Convent on August 16, 2021, at 11 a.m.
Sister Helen Ann's Memorial Video
