RABBONI

When I am dying, how glad I shall be

That the lamp of my life has burned out for Thee.

That sorrow has darkn'd the pathway I trod,

That thorns - not roses were strewn o'er the sod, That anguish of spirit, full oft was mine, Since anguish of spirit so often was Thine. My cherished Rabboni! How glad I shall be

 To die with a hope of a welcome from Thee.

The above was a favorite prayer of our dear Sister M. Camillus, and it says so much about her. She died peacefully at 10:20 P.M. Wednesday, May 6th, with four Sisters around her bed easing her into eternity.

Frances Mary Stock was born in St. Joseph, Missouri on August 11, 1910, the second oldest of seven children born to Anthony F. and Winifred Delaney Stock. In her youth she took piano lessons and continued to love music all her life. She also loved sports and was a skilled horseback rider. When her older sister, Agnes, was in nurses' training, Frances also felt a call to that ministry. She graduated as a registered nurse at age 21 in 1931, and spent the next 10 years in nursing care, always admired for her compassion and understanding, as well as conscientious service. The Doctor who was Chief of Staff at St. Joseph's Hospital in those years was quoted as saying, "I need a truly conscientious, capable nurse for this case. My choice is Frances Stock."

While Frances' brother, Raymond, was a student at Conception College, and whenever family members came to visit him, they often visited the Benedictine Convent at Clyde. On January 4, 1942, Frances entered at Clyde. She was professed on September 1, 1943, and made perpetual vows on September 11, 1948. She continued her selfless dedication to the sick in her monastic community always with that same compassion and willing service. Sr. M. Camillus truly lived out her Eucharistic dedication with the integration of her life and worship through a reverent caring for the Body of Christ, reflecting the Lord's own compassion for the sick and suffering.

Sr. M. Camillus came to St. Louis in 1975 when the Health Care Center was moved there from Clyde. In the beginning she continued her ministry to the sick, and then she herself became a resident of the Health Care Center, receiving the ministry of her Sisters. Even when afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, she was loved by all and delighted the hearts of her Sisters and the staff. Her greeting to just anyone who passed by her when sitting in the hall will be a cherished memory. In August, 1979, she had the joy of a visit from all her brothers and sisters who came for a reunion wth her two sisters, Agnes and Winifred, and three brothers, Father Augustine, O.S.B. of Conception Abbey (Raymond), Anthony and Gerald. The following year her brother Bernard died. 

Some weeks before her death it was noticed that Sister was declining so everyone was on the alert to give her special attention, yet she could still be seen in the hall almost every day and would still  respond to those who passed by.  The last week she became much worse  and someone was watching with her most of the time. The final "veni" came at 10:20 P.M. with four sisters at her bedside. 

The Eucharist was celebrated in the St. Louis Chapel on Friday, May 8th, and the funeral liturgy at Clyde on Saturday, May 9th, followed by interment in Mount Calvary at Clyde. Her brother, Father Augustine, was the main celebrant at Clyde with four concelebrants joining him. All her brothers and sisters and other relatives were present for the wake and assisted at the funeral the next day.