New retreat center to feature sculptures by Mankato Sister
Published June, 2003, in The Courier

Sister Mary Ann Osborne, a School Sister of Notre Dame in Mankato, has been commissioned to carve the Stations of the Cross for St. Francis Lodge, a new retreat center in northern Minnesota.

Sister Mary Ann, a woodworking artist whose studio is on Good Counsel Hill in Mankato, was featured in The Courier five years ago (April, 1998 issue). She has a degree in wood sculpture and has continued to study her craft both in this country and in Europe.

St. Francis Lodge is the project of Sal Di Leo, a Minneapolis marketing consultant and businessman. It is being built specifically as a free retreat center for Catholic nuns and for women exploring Catholic religious life.

On his website (www.salsbook.com), Di Leo says "I would not have the life I have today if it were not for the love and compassion the nuns gave to me and my family when we had no one to turn to in the early '60s. I think I could have ended up in jail or dead. Now I want to give something back."

The retreat center is being paid for by the Di Leo family, donations, and profits from the sale on Sal Di Leo's book, Did I Ever Thank You, Sister?, an autobiography published in 1999.

It is located on Lake George, about 7 miles east of Itasca State Park.

"It's a beautiful setting for a peaceful retreat for women who wish to get away (at no charge) and find some time to pray" says Di Leo.

Di Leo says Sr. Mary Ann is a "wonderful discovery."

"My wife and I were lookng for outdoor Stations of the Cross for our center. Recently, one of our benefactors told us he had commissioned Sr. Mary Ann Osborne to do a wooden Nativity for his church. He indicated her work was wonderful. God is really working here."

Sister has been creating religious art for over 15 years and her work may be found in churches and other institutions throughout the country and even abroad. "I'm grateful that God has blessed me with the gift of carving," she says, "and I use this gift as my way of giving glory to God."

Sister Mary Ann says that carving the Stations for the facility "will be a wonderful project for me and I'm happy I can help with the building of St. Francis Lodge."

To learn more about St. Francis Lodge or Sal Di Leo's book, visit the website noted above or e-mail saldileo@aol.com.

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