I will praise the Lord
all my life;
I will sing praise to my God,
as long as I live.
Ps 104:33

God, the Creator and Lord of our lives, called our dear

Sr. M. Berchmana

Maria Neubauer

to her eternal home on Monday, July 13, 2026.

Sr. M. Berchmana was born on November 30, 1932, in Ratten, Styria, but soon moved with her parents and siblings to Brunn am Gebirge, Lower Austria, where she attended primary school. Due to her father’s profession, the family eventually relocated to Vienna. Here, Sr. M. Berchmana completed secondary school and a three-year vocational school. Following her training, she worked as a seamstress. The religious atmosphere of her family and the Catholic youth movement, of which she was an active member, allowed her vocation to religious life and to the service of the sick to mature. In September 1953, she entered our religious community. After her temporary profession on May 10, 1956, Sr. M. Berchmana attended the nursing school in Wiener Neustadt, graduating with a diploma in September 1959. She had already taken her perpetual vows in May of that same year.

Until 1988, Sr. M. Berchmana worked as a devoted and professionally outstanding nurse, first for many years in Wiener Neustadt, and later at the Hartmannspital (now Franziskus Spital) in Vienna. Within the community of sisters, she was valued for her diverse talents, but especially for her example as a fellow sister and Franciscan. Of great importance to her were a deep relationship with the Lord, the praise of God through a dignified celebration of the liturgy, and a profound devotion to Mary. She loved community life and contributed to celebrations with her own poems, songs, and humorous one-act plays.

In the following years, Sr. M. Berchmana served as Superior in our house communities in Wiener Neustadt, in the Motherhouse, and in the Josefsheim (Vienna-Ober St. Veit). For several years, she was a member of the congregational leadership as a General Councilor. She carried out all these services with a great sense of responsibility.

After completing her term of office at the Josefsheim, she remained there and joyfully dedicated herself to tending the garden. In 2017, she returned to the Motherhouse to gradually be admitted to the nursing ward. Here, too, she was beloved for her kindness and peacefulness, her open and cheerful nature, and equally respected for her discipline. She did not tolerate negative remarks. Despite increasing hearing loss, she remained interested in news from the community, the Church, and the world. She enjoyed sitting in the common areas to meet, talk, or pray with fellow residents, staff, and sisters. She accepted the hardships of old age with serenity and resignation.

Throughout her life, the bond with her relatives was important to Sr. M. Berchmana. She took an interest in their lives and always accompanied them with her prayers. We all remain connected to Sr. M. Berchmana in great gratitude.

Funeral: Friday, July 24, 2026, at 1:00 PM at the Vienna-Ober St. Veit cemetery, followed by Holy Mass in the nearby San Damiano nursing home, Josef Kraft-Weg 9.

Obituary Sr. M. Berchmana