Sister Cecilia Vandal, MM

Born: May 22, 1928
Entered: October 5, 1946
Died: March 6, 2026

We gather this morning to celebrate the life of Sister Elizabeth Cecilia Vandal, “Cecy,” a woman of prayer and joy. Reflecting on her 75-year jubilee, she wrote, “The blessings of these seventy-five years are beyond counting… My big heartfelt gratitude can only be expressed in silent prayer.” Sister Cecilia peacefully entered eternal life to our loving God on March 6, 2026, at 2:48 p.m. at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, in the company of her sister, Alice, and Maryknoll aid.

Born in Bottineau, ND, on May 22, 1928, to Estelle Nordin and Leonard Vandal, Cecy was part of a large, loving family of 13 siblings. She had 7 sisters: Rose Marie, Theresa, Marguerite, Helen, Alice, Grace and Eugenia and 5 brothers: Edward, Lawrence, Norman, Aime and Michael. All predeceased her except for Alice and Grace. Cecy graduated from Notre Dame Academy High School, Willow City, ND in 1946. She entered Maryknoll on October 5, 1946, professed her First Vows in 1949, and her Final Vows in 1952. After earning a Bachelor of Education from Rogers College, Maryknoll, NY in 1953, her mission journey began as a teacher in New York’s Chinatown from 1952 to 1954.

Sister Cecilia’s first overseas mission assignment was to Chile in 1957, where she served as a teacher, principal, and pastoral counselor at Maryknoll schools in Santiago, Pemuco, and Talcahuano Huachipato. Additionally, she served as the Regional Coordinator of the Maryknoll Sisters Chile Region for four years.

In 1979, she returned to New York to join the staff of the Maryknoll Sisters Mission Institute. From 1982 to 1988, she served within the Maryknoll Sisters Eastern U.S. Region. This period allowed her to minister to her aging and ill parents while also serving as a Pastoral Associate for two parishes in Bottineau County, where her primary responsibilities included liturgies and religious education.

When reflecting on her work within the U.S. Church, Sister Cecilia noted, “The best part was getting to know people whom I hadn’t seen since I was 18 years old. I got to appreciate their family values and my own culture.”

In January 1989, Sister Cecilia was assigned to El Salvador to minister within the Soyapango parish communities. At the archbishop’s request, she and two other Maryknoll Sisters moved to the small agricultural town of Santa Cruz, Analquito—a community that had never previously had resident church personnel. After four years of dedicated collaboration with the local townsfolk, they left this vibrant Christian community to serve in other regions.

In 2007, after serving for three years as Co-Coordinator of the Maryknoll Sisters Center Rogers Community, Sister Cecilia returned to El Salvador. Upon her arrival in Soyapango, she was met with incredible warmth and sensitivity, as residents celebrated her return. Welcomed with open arms, she was immediately incorporated into the Council for the Deanery; the Evangelization Committee was the first to claim her. A beloved missioner of many talents has truly returned home.

Known for her gentle and peaceful presence, Cecy had a remarkable ability to recognize the goodness in everyone and find the positive side of every situation. She found great joy in gardening and cooking, and she was an especially avid Scrabble player. While she often kept four or five Scrabble dictionaries on hand during games, she remained remarkably non-competitive. As she often reminded her community members, “the aim of playing Scrabble is to have fun and how much we can collectively reach over 700 points!”

In her final months, Sister Cecilia shared, “It has been a wonderful life, and I would not trade it for anything. Yet I am ready to go home and face our God.” At the time of her passing, she was 98 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 80 years. In a final act of generosity, she donated her body to science.

We warmly welcome the members of Sister Cecilia Vandal’s family, both in person and via livestream. We are pleased to have her family with us for this occasion. We also welcome our Maryknoll Brothers and Father David La Buda, who will preside over this celebration of life for Sister Cecilia.