Alvera Kathryn Gildehaus was born in St. Louis, MO, Aug. 17, 1916 - one of a family of three girls and a boy. When Alvera was four, they moved from their home on Gravois near what is now the site of our Motherhouse, to a farm which was her father's portion of the large Gildehaus homestead. At Woods school—a small frame building nearby—Alvera was a very good student. She had a happy childhood, blest with the love of a very close-knit family. Her mother's deep religious spirit found expression in hymns to the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessed Virgin as she went about her household duties. Naturally this had a deep influence on the children. From her earliest years, Alvera felt the desire to become a nun.

When the family moved to Union, MO, Alvera and her sister Sylvia were employed at a local shoe store. Later they worked in St. Louis, but spent the weekends with the family in Union. It was Alvera's great joy to visit the Blessed Sacrament at the University church. All through these years, the desire to consecrate her life to God persisted. This desire was fulfilled when she entered our convent at Clyde on Sept. 3, 1939. She was invested with the Benedictine habit on April 14, 1940 and at her first profession of vows on Aug. 30, 1941, received the name of Sister Mary Peter. Final vows were made on Aug. 31, 1946, and Virginal Consecration on July 24, 1956.

Gentle, sensitive, affectionate, and joyous, Sister radiated the warmth of charity which she had imbibed in her home life. She was a quiet person, much given to prayer and communion with Jesus, her Spouse, as she loved to speak of Him. She made frequent offerings of Jesus to His Father for souls. The Will of God and the goodness of the Heavenly Father seemed to be a refrain in her childlike, confident heart, which saw the supernatural in whatever happened. The secret of her charity and almost bubbling joyousness was a deep interior union with the Indwelling Trinity. Her awareness of the Indwelling Presence increased with the years, be coming as it were the very breath of her life. This was revealed to a close confidante in letters and spiritual colloquies. She also developed a great love for Sacred Scripture and made real stride in the Word of God and its understanding.

In the course of the years, Sister was stationed for a time at each of our priories, except Tucson. Her work was mainly in the altar bread department and portress duty. In the latter capacity, visitors were impressed by her spirit of joy and peace and her great kindness. She had a pleasing voice and an artistic talent - both of which she used joyfully and generously in God's service. She cherished her Eucharistic vocation and was most faithful in her service of adoration and whatever tasks were assigned to her.

Sister resumed her baptismal name, Alvera, in March, 1970, claiming as her patronal feast that of the Most Holy Trinity: Alvera, she said, means all truth, which is personified in the three Divine Persons.

Sister was assigned to our St. Louis convent in March, 1975, so as to be nearer her aged invalid mother who died in May, 1976 at the age of ninety years. Little did Sister dream that she was soon to follow. Plans were made for her to transfer to our Tucson convent on Sept. 18th. But it seems God willed otherwise. On the 11th, while paying a farewell visit to relatives in the city, she fell headlong down a flight of stairs sustaining severe injuries. She passed peacefully to the Lord on the 17th, having regained consciousness only once for a brief moment when she recognized her sister Sylvia. After the Resurrection Mass celebrated on the 18th by Very Rev. Father Edwin, O.S.B., Prior of St. Pius X Monastery, her remains were taken to Clyde for burial in Mt. Calvary cemetery. -- A prayer she had written on a slip of paper, had now come to fruition: "Now may my life flow on with Jesus, to the glory of the Father in the love of the Holy Spirit."