Sister Marian Sturm, daughter of the late Arnold and Mary (Kapitza) Sturm, was born in Falls City, Texas.She attended grades one through eight at Falls City Public School and high school at Nazareth Academy in Victoria, Tx.On July 30, 1961, dressed as a bride, she received the habit of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament and entered the novitiate at Nazareth Convent. Her first profession of vows was August 6, 1962.
Sister Marian began her college education at Annunciation College in Victoria and later transferred to Incarnate Word College in San Antonio from which she earned a B.A. degree in Biology and Math. Later she attended St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Tx. where she received a Master of Arts degree in Theology and Catechetics.
During her 60 years of professed life as a member of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, Sister Marian ministered in various capacities. She asked to teach children at various stages of growth. Therefore, she taught all age levels: at St. Leo School, San Antonio, Tx., St. Michael School, Weimar, Tx., Nazareth Academy, Victoria, TX., and St. Michael School, Cuero, Tx. She continued as a high school teacher at St. Paul High School, Shiner, Tx., St. Joseph High School, Victoria, Tx., and Sacred Heart High School, Hallettsville, Tx. During this time, she also taught catechetical workshops through the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Tx. to catechists.
During the creation of the Diocese of Victoria, Sister Marian served as the Director of the Reflection Process for the diocese which helped the members of each parish to identify themselves as a part of the Diocese of Victoria and as Church.
Later, Sister Marian became a Parish Faith Formation Director at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, Huntsville, Tx., St. Philip of Jesus Parish, St. Anthony Claret Parish, and St. Mark the Evangelist Parish, all in San Antonio, Tx. For further ongoing personal spiritual growth, she completed 5 units of Clinical Pastoral Education at Hermann Hospital and MD Anderson Hospital, Houston, Tx where she also ministered as a chaplain.She then completed studies and internship for certification in spiritual direction at the Center for Spiritual Growth and Contemplative Life, San Antonio, Tx.
Today, Sister does the publicity for Incarnate Word Convent’s Amor Meus Spirituality Center, and ministers as a Social Justice Promoter for Region XII of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a group of Religious Sisters from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Arkansas who work on social justice issues. She is also the sacristan at Incarnate Word Chapel and has household duties.
For recreation and relaxation, Sister enjoys playing scrabble, gin rummy, watching mystery movies, reading mystery novels and dancing.