My Own Pilgrimage

Sister Guadalupe Torres

My eight years of Catholic education were taught by two dedicated Franciscan Sisters, Sister Albertilla Sandoval and Sister Paulinia Altepeter in Emporia, Kansas. My early concept of nuns was that they were born nuns, but as I worked along side of Sister Albertilla helping her clean the St. Catherine’s Church, I found out they were human beings also.

On Saturday mornings, Sister Albertilla would come from Sacred Heart Convent to prepare for Sunday Mass in fixing flowers, cleaning and setting up for Mass. A few of us girls would spend most of the day helping her with washing flower vases, shining candlesticks, cleaning vigil light glasses, sweeping, dusting and doing other errands for her.

Before the school year began the two Sisters visited homes of incoming students and became acquainted with the parents who gave them full support in their ministry. After I graduated from St. Catherine’s, I attended a year of high school at Lowther’s, but was not happy or satisfied with it. It happened that at this time the Franciscan Sisters were opening St. Joseph High School in Denver, Colorado for Aspirants. Sister Albertilla was instrumental in getting me to Denver.

My father had high respect for Sister, so she suggested to him to send me to Denver. When my father asked me if I wanted to attend a Catholic High School, I did not hesitate and said, “Yes!” It was my first experience away from home, so I left for Denver on August 30, 1944. It was here that I decided to live among the Sisters and I entered my Franciscan Community on August 12, 1946.