Sister Ann Sherman
Current ministry Location – Cambodia
Ann Sherman was born February 1, 1949 in Fairbault, MN to Agatha Magdalena (Kern) Sherman and Edmund Sherman. She had 3 sisters: Mary, Philomena and Odilia and 4 bothers: Benedict, Gabriel, John and Joseph. Ann graduated from Bethlehem Academy High School in Fairbault in 1967. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin in 1971, she taught for six years at Our Lady of Peace Grade School.
Ann entered Maryknoll September 2, 1976 at the Center, NY. She professed First Vows June 4, 1978 at the Center and Final Vows July 7, 1984 in Korea. In 1978 she received her Master of Arts in Religious Studies from the Maryknoll School of Theology, Maryknoll, NY.
Sister Ann’s first mission assignment was to Korea in 1978 and after language study, she worked as an occupational therapist in St. John of God Clinic in Kwangju from 1979 to 1982. She then worked in Galilee Children’s House as a teacher and was also a parish Eucharistic minister until 1986.
In 1986 Sister Ann was assigned to the Maryknoll Sisters Contemplative Community in NY. The particular expression of mission of the Sisters in the Contemplative community was the ministry of prayer and sacrifice for all Maryknollers, for the peoples they served and the mission endeavor of the Church throughout the world.
Sister Ann taught English conversation to college students, young adults, housewives, Korean Sisters and Montessori kindergarteners for ten years. She built their confidence in English in order that the students could successfully participate in international conferences and seminars and to study abroad. Some students found new meaning by reading the bible in another language and sharing. Her gospel sharing groups wanted to practice speaking in English but she said “We also talked about our daily lives and shared from our hearts, not just parroting from a text book.”
In 1991 Sister Ann spent six months with the Contemplative Community in El Quiche, Guatemala where her gifts of art and poetry were much appreciated. In 1993, Sister Ann assigned to work in the printing office at the Maryknoll Sisters Center and she spent four summers as a four star cook at the Sisters retreat and vacation house in Rhode Island. In 1999, she was assigned back to her beloved Korea.
In 2013, Sister Ann was assigned to Cambodia where she runs a preschool with another Maryknoll Sister to provide children with an educational foundation and after-school programs for elementary and secondary students. These programs give children a safe place to play and work on homework and job training.