Former OLV principal helps Hispanic families

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, July 27, 2007

Cultural diversity in Pelican Rapids and throughout west central Minnesota is dear to the heart of Sister Adela Gross, former Fergus Falls Our Lady of Victory Principal and eighth grade teacher who currently is minister at St. Mary's Church in Melrose as Hispanic pastoral minister.

Known as Sister Mary Peter when she served in Fergus Falls during the 1960s, she works with about 200 Hispanic families in the Melrose area, many of whom work at Jennie-O Turkey Plant. She’s also been connected, albeit in a limited capacity, with Hispanic families in the Pelican Rapids area who work at the Jennie-O plant in that community.

Sister Adela, who has worked in various roles for the Diocese of St. Cloud which serves both Fergus Falls and Pelican Rapids, assisted flood victims at Breckenridge in 1997 and has attended previous OLV school reunions in Fergus Falls.

“My duties at Melrose include providing Catholic Mass, Sacraments, religious instruction and much outreach — including translating and helping with forms, applications, housing and medical needs,” she said. “In addition, I try to be a resource regarding questions about immigration and employment. I have some great volunteers who assist me with all of this.”

For the past 30 years, since her return from missionary work in Peru, Sister Adela has worked with migrant farm workers across the country, including six years at the Catholic Bishops Conference in Washington, D.C., where she coordinated ministry to people on the move.

In 2000 she was recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Office of Migration and Refugee Services in recognition of her service to migrant workers.

Now 76, Sister Adela just celebrated 60 years as a Franciscan Sister of Little Falls.

“In those early years of Our Lady of Victory School in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sister Adela and her fellow teachers strived to nurture each OLV child in a safe, caring environment to become faith-filled witnesses of Christ in our world,” current OLV Principal Sandy Carpenter said. “Sister Adela contributed much to the success of this school over the years and helped build OLV to the fine school it is today.”