Meet Sister Mary K Zirbes

In her semi-retirement years, Sister Mary Zirbes has been a strong advocate for social justice and preservation of the environment and all of creation. Involved in a variety of causes, she has done much to bring awareness to the critical issues affecting our society today. She also has a love of painting, producing many works of her own and teaching art classes to her religious sisters. 

Sister Mary Zirbes, originally from Melrose, Minn., joined the Franciscan Sisters in 1942. For many years she served in elementary education, the Community Mission in Peru, and in promoting outreach and social justice ministries in parishes of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Past Ministries

• Teacher-Primary Grades at St. Nicholas School, St. Nicholas, Minn.
• Principal/Teacher-Grade 1 at Holy Spirit School, St. Cloud, Minn.
• Teacher - Grade 8 at Our Lady of Victory School, Fergus Falls, Minn.
• Principal/Substitute Teacher; FSLF Community Board at St. Mary's School, Morris, Minn.
• FSLF Community Board, Mission Coord; Religious Ed--Royalton, Minn., at Franciscan Sisters, Little Falls, Minn.
• Pastoral Worker/Catechist at Franciscan Sisters, Little Falls, Minn.
• Pastoral Worker/Catechist at St. Edward's, Imm. Concep., St. Pius X Parishes, Princeton/Becker/Zimmerman, Minn.
• Pastoral Minister Adult & Family Education/Social Justice at St. Richard's Parish, Richfield, Minn.
• Parish Social Justice Ministry Coordinator at Urban Affairs Commission, St. Paul, Minn.
• Parish Outreach at Catholic Charities, St. Paul, Minn.
• Coordinator of Parish Social Justice Ministry at Catholic Charities, St. Paul, Minn.
• Minister to Franciscan Associates at Franciscan Sisters, Little Falls, Minn.

Current Ministry

• Advocacy