Sr. Mary Louise Jacobs, SFP

November 29, 1931— October 6, 2021

Simplicity, service and kindness – these are the words that describe the life of Sr. Mary Louise Jacobs. She was the last of the mendicant sisters, those who would go to the public markets to collect goods and money, to bring back to the social service center or hospital to provide needed resources and to feed those experiencing poverty in the city. During her years, Sister’s primary task was collecting donations at places of business, always mindful that this was a way of providing for Jesus present in the poor person or family. “I have joy in being with the other Sisters and being able to serve God in my many years of religious life,” Sister Mary Louise said of herself.

Mary Louise was born on November 29, 1931, to Lillian and George Jacobs, in Hamilton, OH, the only girl in a family with 5 boys. Preceded by George, Omer, Ralph, Cletus and Robert, she grew up in a lively household and was doted on by her brothers. The family worshiped regularly at St. Joseph Church in Hamilton, and she and her brothers attended and graduated from St. Joseph School.
Her faith was nurtured by her father, who went to church even in the coldest weather. Unfortunately, her father passed away while she was yet in elementary school. Her mother kept the family together, and she grew very close to her brothers.

Mary Louise met the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor through their presence at St. Raphael’s Service Center in Hamilton. The love for God, she continued to develop after her father’s death, blossomed into a desire to commit her life to God. Mary Louise entered the novitiate of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor on October 24, 1948 at the age of 16 and received the religious name Sr. Mary Georgine.
She made her first Profession of Vows on May 3, 1951 and her Perpetual Profession just 5 years later. Once she made her commitment, her love for God and the poor never wavered. “Through meditation and prayer, I’ve learned to come closer to God, which helps me live my Religious life to the fullest.”

Sister Mary Louise’s life was one of service, to the poor served at our institutions and to her Sisters in a variety of different settings. Meaningful time was spent at St. John’s Social Service Center in
downtown Cincinnati, collecting goods and funds to be distributed to those in need. She also served in Housekeeping at St. Anthony Hospital, Columbus, OH, in Dietary at Margaret Mary Hospital, Batesville, IN and as a Sacristan at Our Lady of Bellefonte, in Ashland KY. Sister viewed all her work, not as a job, but as a way to serve God present in others. At St. Anthony’s, Sister Mary Louise was also encouraged to learn to type, a skill that came in handy when needed, and eventually led to her assisting in the Congregational Archives for a time.

Since 1972, Sister worked closer to home, spending time in Cincinnati at Drake Memorial Hospital
and the Franciscan Terrace. Here, Sister not only worked in the laundry and dining services, but also ran errands and did favors for residents and Sisters alike. No task was too big or too small for her willing “Yes”. St. John Social Service Center was her favorite ministry. It was during the years there, working directly with and for the poor and marginalized, that her spirit and her ability to see Christ in the poor and suffering grew and became part of her personality.

Sister Mary Louise possessed a characteristic comfort and ease which she demonstrated with everyone she met, and she did not hesitate to respond “God bless you. I will pray for you.” to all she encountered. Many times, her gentle manner won over the hearts of shopkeepers and patrons alike. One proprietor of a tailor shop, who had noticed that she had worn out her shoes, walking and begging for the poor, took up a collection and gave her money for a new pair – which were purchased immediately.

In her later years, Sister Mary Louise continued her ministry of service, often assisting others whose abilities were less than hers. She spent several years in hospitality ministry and assisted the Community Minister in whatever way she could. She also now had time to spend in prayer – and in making rosaries for the missions. Besides yearly visits with her family, Sister also enjoyed a couple of “vacations” working with Sr. Adelaide Link on the Navajo Reservation in Chinle, AZ – trips she relished with great joy – even though she spent her time there distributing food and clothing to people in need!
Sister Mary Louise’s “words of wisdom” shared at her 70th Jubilee were “Be faithful to prayer each day and do whatever God requires of you – and be thankful…” We would all do well to hold these words in our hearts as a lasting treasure.

The Rose Between the Thorns
See “the rose between the thorns,”
the loveliness and pain.
One simple, selfless servant’s heart
whose faithfulness spoke plain.
Each day her heart gave blessings –-
a word, a card, a smile –-
Though life grew harder, she remained
determined all the while.
In an unexpected moment
her faithful heart took flight,
Gently soaring Home to Jesus,
great joy that ends the night.

The following are some testimonials from our Sisters who remember with affection Sr. Mary Louise Jacobs:

Sr. Mary Louise Jacobs was a person of contentment. She was totally devoted to making God and others happy, like herself. Her contentment conveyed there was no need to compare, complain or be the least bit dissatisfied with any aspect of life. She was a living witness of deep gratitude for everything. Everyone was received as friend and kindly welcomed. Her favorite words were: “Thank You” and “God Bless You!” Her life spoke. Sr. Marilyn Trowbridge, sfp

I don’t know much about Sr. Mary Louise until I came to live at St. Clare’s convent in December of 2018. She was living on the second floor then but our personal encounters were very few. I do remember her being a lector during Holy Mass and taking responsibility of putting up the numbers of hymns to be sung during the Sunday liturgy. She prayed the rosary after lunch and Sr. Rita and I joined her at the second floor chapel.
She was moved to the Magnificat and I came to know more about her when I got my assignment to be part of the Community. She stayed mostly in her room and at the chapel praying her rosary and the SFP Community Prayer Book. Her book is so worn out with loose pages but she didn’t want to part with it. To me, it is a symbol of her commitment to daily prayer. I tried to let her participate in our communion service by making her do the reading (she could read very well) or letting her recite a decade of the rosary during our community prayer when she was able. She loved chocolates and cookies and anything sweet that she always said: “Can I have one more”?
October 5 happened to be a beautiful day. And as always, I asked the sisters if one of them would like to go outside. Sr. Mary Louise was standing near me and I said to her I would like take her to the grotto. For the first time, she did not refuse and with her walker got into the elevator with me. I had to bring with me the little white board and dry erase pen so I could communicate with her.
She walked all the way to the parking lot, but halfway through it, she said “I can’t walk anymore.” I let her sit down on her walker and pointed to her the grotto, the blue skies and the trees around the convent. I wrote on the board to let me know when she wanted to walk again. After ten minutes of sitting, she told me she wanted to go back to the convent and I had to push her sitting on the walker until we got on the elevator to go to the third floor. She sat down on one of the chairs and said “Thank you”. One time, I saw her trying to pull her hang nail and asked her if she would let me trim her nails. She accepted my offer and she was so grateful she held my hands after and said “Thank you.” That’s very typical of Sr. Mary Louise – always grateful for the little things you did for her.
On Sunday which was the day before her funeral, I cleaned her room. I found her photo with her beautiful smile and a short caption. I guess, it must have been a part of a published article related to religious women celebrating their jubilees. This is what she said on the article: “As I reflect on what to write, it seems appropriate that I simply express my deep gratitude to God for my vocation as a Franciscan Sister of the Poor. Specifically, I am grateful to Sister Innocenta Donnelly for her acceptance of me and her kindness to me. Over the years, I have been inspired by the words of Mother Frances, “ Let us always begin anew and with fresh ardour to serve our Divine Savior very faithfully, as our holy calling demands.” These words have been my encouragement and my challenge.” With these words, I find in Sr. Mary Louise a true witness to our Gospel Way of Life of simplicity and humility.
Pray for us, dear Sister and may you now enjoy the bliss of heaven. Sr. Armida Sison, sfp