Ursula Thompson was born at Eaton, Colo, on July 26, 1921, one of seven children. When she was ten years old, her oldest sister, Mary Catherine, entered our convent at Clyde and became Sister M. Lucina. Ursula attended the Clyde Academy for one year, then went to the Ursulines in Kentucky for her high school studies. She entered at Clyde on Jan. 27, 1940, and was followed two years later by her sister Rose (Sister M. DeLourdes) and in 1949 by Marybeth, who, however, returned to secular life later. One of her brothers is Father William, a monk at Holy Cross Abbey in Canon City, Colorado.

Ursula was invested on Aug. 24, 1940, and made profession as Sister M. Rosalia on Aug. 30, 1941. She made her perpetual vows on Aug. 31, 1946 and was consecrated a Virgin on July 25, 1965.

Sister was a very gifted and loving person, who gave herself generously in her various assignments of work: at the addressograph and in the correspondence department, as portress, assistant novice mistress, vocation directress, sacristan and priory bookkeeper. She also served the chaplain's meals for some years. During the last eighteen to twenty years of her life Sister lived in our five sanctuaries - the last in San Diego.

When her father died suddenly Sister went home to Pueblo to be with her mother, who was quite ill. On All Saints' Day, Nov. 1, 1971 Father William offered the Eucharist in the living room of their home, in the presence of their mother, Sister M. Rosalia, and their brother Clem and his wife. The next day, Nov.  2, 1971, Sister was in a car accident and suffered instant death.

After consultation with the family, it was decided to have her buried in Pueblo, near her father's grave. "Tammy," as she was affectionately called, had done much to spread the joy of Christ's love and had been instrumental in reconciling relatives and friends who had become estranged from each other. Her love and concern had deeply endeared her to all, and they wished to have her there with them. Bishop Buswell of Pueblo, much loved by the family, along with Father William and nine other priests, concelebrated the funeral Mass, and Sister was laid to rest at the foot of her father's grave.

In a letter written not long before her death Sister had expressed her great love for her Benedictine community and Sisters.