Our dear Sister Margaret Ann Holtz, OSB, 92, passed away peacefully the morning of Saturday, November 30, 2024 at St. Scholastica Monastery Infirmary.
Sister was a member of the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago for 74 years. We thank God for her life and the impact she had on our community and generations of students across Chicagoland and Colorado.
She passed into the loving arms of God; the Sisters and her family who have gone before her are there to welcome her.
Born in Spangler, Pennsylvania, on June 5, 1932, Margaret Ann was one of four children of Dennis and Mary Holtz. After graduating from St. Patrick’s Elementary School and Spangler High School, Margaret Ann intended to enter the Congregation of the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton, Pennsylvania. However, after a family vacation in Chicago, during which they visited Margaret Ann’s paternal aunt, Sister Gertrude Holtz, O.S.B., she changed her mind. Entering the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago in September of 1950, she was given the name Sister Mary Denis.
For decades Sister taught primary grades at schools throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago, including Queen of All Saints, St. John Nepomucene, St. George, and St. Hilary, where she also served as Assistant Principal. She also taught at Mother of God School in Waukegan, Illinois and in Colorado at St. Mary (Pueblo) and St. Michael (Cañon City).
As was the practice in religious communities at the time, Sister Margaret Ann took college courses while teaching; in 1964 she was awarded a PhB (Bachelor of Philosophy) from DePaul University. In the later 1970’s, Sister Margaret Ann moved from teaching into positions of financial responsibility for both schools and community. She served in the Business Office of St. Scholastica Academy, Chicago, eventually becoming Treasurer, a position she also held at St. Scholastica Academy, Cañon City, Colorado. Her ministry also included an appointment as Treasurer of the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago.
In her later years, Sister Margaret Ann coordinated monastery resources and housekeeping staff. In 2014 she moved to St. Joseph Court.
Her sense of humor, playfulness, practicality, and commitment to the common good made her a beloved community member. She will be missed.
Visitation: Friday, December 6 from 9:00 a.m. until time for Mass at St. Scholastica Monastery, 7430 N Ridge Blvd, Chicago, IL.
Mass of Resurrection: Friday, December 6 at 10:00 a.m. (Please email sclark@osbchicago.org for Zoom details).
Internment: All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL, following Mass.
Reflections from Sr. Mary Susan Remsgar, OSB, Prioress
Worship Aid - Mass of Resurrection
Funeral Mass card
Please join us in thanking God for her remarkable life!
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