Sister Anna Maria Ahl

March 26, 1926-April 26, 2022

Proclaim a joyful sound and let it be heard; proclaim to the ends of the earth: The Lord has freed his people, alleluia.

Awonderfully gifted poet, artist and singer, S. Anna Maria Ahl spent much of her 75 years as a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati utilizing her artistic talents. S. Anna Maria was born in Chicago, Illinois. She attended St. Sebastian grade school and graduated from St. Sebastian High School in 1944 where she was taught by the Sisters of Charity. After high school she worked at the Whiting Paper Company doing bookkeeping and typing while attending night classes at the Art Institute of Chicago. In September 1946 she entered the Sisters of Charity.

S. Anna Maria’s ministries spanned more than 55 years in education, art creation, social services, housing and retreat work; 40 of those years were spent in Colorado Springs, Colorado. S. Anna Maria began her years of service at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, putting her office skills to use. She ministered in the classroom (elementary then high school) at schools in Ohio and Colorado from 1950 until 1970.

After completing her Master of Arts degree, S. Anna Maria was freed for creative art. She opened her own creative arts area at the Motherhouse. In those eight years she illustrated books for authors, helped with a teen religion series, created works of poetry and wrote an ‘ecology fable,’ with no desire to specialize in any one field.

In 1978 S. Anna Maria was invited to use her creative art and cooking skills in service at El Pomar Retreat House in Colorado Springs. She thrived in the beauty nature provided, both for her spirit and her creative talents. She would form deep and lasting friendships in ministry there. The next seven years she did general office work, wearing many hats, when El Pomar became Julie Penrose Center. For the years prior to her retirement, S. Anna Maria gave quality service to Greccio Housing Unlimited, Inc. in Colorado Springs where the goal was to preserve, develop and maintain quality affordable housing. She served as receptionist and office assistant. Those skills, encouraged by her mother, provided a practical benefit once again.

S. Anna Maria retired in 2001 and moved to Mother Margaret Hall in 2018. There she enjoyed reading books on new theology, sharing time with her Sisters, viewing PBS programs on science and nature and listening to classical music. S. Anna Maria would say of her creative bent, “Any creative process needs a germ to get started. The germ grows and develops until suddenly you have the idea and then the illustration comes naturally.”

Friend S. Jean Miller shared, “Anna Maria was a very reflective religious woman. I knew her best in the West where we got together frequently at her house. Her love of nature was so obvious in her prayers and poetry.”