Sr. Mary Mark Bartoo's Vocation Story

I am a from a farm family near Wabash, Indiana. I spent my entire life, all twenty-four years on the farm. We raised everything from pigs, milking cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, turkeys, dogs and cats to kids! As most farmer’s kids, we learned at a very early age how to work. I had to help milk, feed the animals and gather the eggs, not to mention how to drive tractors, do the plowing and many other needed tasks on the farm.

I went to Manchester College in North Manchester, Indiana. I graduated in 1959 with a degree in history, health and physical education and driver education. My first two years were spent teaching in Albion, Indiana. I then came to Our Lady of Grace Academy in 1961. During that time I worked on my Master’s Degree from Indiana State Teacher’s College. While teaching at the Academy, I decided to enter the monastery and did so in 1962.

Over the years I worked in and out of teaching. When I wasn’t teaching I was the maintenance coordinator at the monastery and at St. Paul Hermitage, our home for the elderly.  I had the opportunity to help design the pool/gymnasium at the academy, the renovation of the Chapel of Our Lady of Grace Monastery, and the planning and overseeing of the building of the Health Care Center at St. Paul Hermitage. It was also my privilege to work on the renovation of the third floor at the Hermitage and the Chapel.

Presently, I live and work at St. Paul Hermitage.