Sister Cecilia Vandal
Current Ministry Location – Center NY
Cecilia Vandal was born May 22, 1928 in Bottineau, ND to Estellla (Nordin) Vandal and Leonard C. Vandal. She had 8 sisters: Rose Marie, Marguerite, Alice, Grace, Eugenia Catherine, Helen, Jeanne, Theresa Ann and 5 brothers: Michael Philip, Norman, Aime, Edward and Lawrence. Cecilia graduated from Notre Dame Academy High School, Willow City, ND in 1946.
Cecilia entered Maryknoll October 5, 1946 at the Center in NY. She professed First Vows April 6, 1947 at the Center and Final Vows April 6, 1952 also at the Center. She studied from 1949–1953 at Rogers College, Maryknoll, NY earning a Bachelor of Education degree in 1953. Her first mission assignment from 1952–1954 was as a primary school teacher in New York Chinatown.
Sister Cecilia’s first overseas mission assignment was to Chile in 1957, Sister Cecilia taught, was principal and a counselor in Maryknoll schools in Santiago, Pemuco and Talcahuano Huachipato. In addition, she served as Regional Coordinator of the Maryknoll Sisters Chile Region for four years. She returned to NY in 1979 to serve as a staff member in the Maryknoll Sisters Mission Institute.
From 1982 to 1988 she joined the Maryknoll Sisters Eastern U.S. Region and had the opportunity to be in ministry to her aging and ill parents while also serving as a Pastoral Associate in two parishes in Bottineau County. Her main responsibilities were liturgies and religious education. When asked what it was like working in the U.S. Church, she answered, “The best part was getting to know people whom I hadn’t seen since I was eighteen years old. I got to appreciate their family values and my own culture.”
Sister Cecilia was assigned to El Salvador in January, 1989, to minister among the Soyapango parish communities. The archbishop asked her and two other Maryknoll Sisters to live in the little agricultural town of Santa Cruz, Analquito that had never had church personnel living among them. After four years of collaboration with the townsfolk, they left the loving Christian community and went on, like St. Paul, “to other places.”
In 2007, Sister Cecilia, having just finished serving as Co-Coordinator of the Maryknoll Sisters Center Rogers Community for three years, returned to El Salvador. When she returned to Soyapango, El Salvador, the warmth and sensitivity of the Salvadorans was expressed everywhere. “Yes, the Hermana Cecilia is back.” She was welcomed with open arms at every turn. 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 had returned.
In addition to the Sisters, there were lay missioners, priests and Sisters working in different places and varied ministries in El Salvador, they formed a mission community, meeting regularly for reflection days, celebrated holidays and birthdays together, planned orientation of new members, visitors and other occasions as a group.
Sister Cecilia retired to the Center in NY in 2018.