Sr. Cecilia Vandal

Ossining, N.Y.

Maryknoll Missioner Sister Cecilia Vandal passed away March 6, 2026 in her Marknoll Motherhouse at Ossining, N.Y.

Born in Bottineau, on May 22, 1928 to Estelle (Nordin) and Leonard Vandal, Cecilia was third oldest of 13 children. She attended a one room country grade school and graduated from Notre Dame High School in Willow City, in 1942. She applied and was accepted to Maryknoll the same year.

In 1952, Sister Cecilia professed her final vows as a nun and completed a degree in education at Maryknollás Rogers College. After teaching in Chinatown, N.Y. several years, Cecilia was assigned to Chile in South America where she served as regional coordinator in Santiago, Pemuco and Talcahuno Hauchipato.

Seeing the need to help her ailing and aging parents in Bottineau, Cecilia was pastoral associate in both Westhope and Bottineau Catholic Parishes while aiding them and serving the staff of Maryknoll’s Mission Institute from 1982-1986.

In 1989 Cecilia accepted assignment to El Salvador and ministered for 30 years in Soyapango and Santa Cruz, in some places where there had never been church personnel. Humbly and joyfully, she never tired of helping impoverished people and considered El Salvador her home.

However, at the age of 90 years, Cecilia was called to her Maryknoll Motherhouse to retire, where she informed others “she would help the elderly,” and she did. There, the elderly nuns who had served in some far-off country themselves also needed help and she cared for them daily. They played Scrabble nearly nightly and Cecilia, adept at the game, loved to help them make new words, dictionary at hand, to highly score collectively.

Ever thoughtful, Cecilia sent loving messages to each of her family members on their birthdays and Holy Days. In her last months, she shared that she “was ready to go home and face our God.” She loved being and had served as a nun for nearly 80 years.

Generous to the end, she donated her body to science. A mass in celebration of Sister Cecilia’s life took place in Annunciation Chapel in Maryknoll on March 20, 2026. Her wake was the night before at the same place.

Cecilia is survived by her sisters Alice (Edmond, deceased) Leonard of Minot and Grace (Duane, deceased) Woodford of Concord, CA; brothers-in-law, Norman Schauer and Re. Lt. Col. William Ault; sisters-in-law Shirley Vandal, Gladys Vandal and Sandra Vandal; a multitude of nieces and nephews, grand nieces and nephews and cousins and many Maryknoll sisters the world over.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and in-laws: Edward (Denise) RoseMarie (Hubert) Ornberg, Theresa (Paul) Zarnowski, Marguerite Ault, Lawrence, Helen (Rodney) Evans, Norman Aime, and Jeanie Schauer. Michael passed away three weeks ago.

Cecilia lived a beautiful life and we miss her but now her joy is complete.

Published by The Minot Daily News, April 18, 2026.