After a long and fruitful life Sister Teresa Kreiser heard the call of her Lord saying, “come” on the afternoon of September 21. The sisters of the Regina area had spent some time with her in song and prayer and in thanksgiving for all she had been and done for them and for God’s people before she slipped away peacefully home to God.

Early Life & Education

Teresa was born in a log cabin built by her grandfather and her parents when they came to Canada as migrants. She was the 9th of 11 children in this profoundly religious Catholic family. Teresa had fond memories of her early childhood and the time she was able to spend in nature even as she did farm chores such as fetching the cows for milking, picking berries in the summer or just sitting on the farm machinery with her father as he tilled the soil.

The family was the fertile ground for formation in values such as justice, sharing, mutual support and care of those in need. These values, deeply rooted in her faith in God were the touchstones of Teresa’s life of service.

Teresa’s primary education took place in a one room school where a single teacher taught all eight grades and supervised the students taking the first two years of high school by correspondence. Teresa went to Regina to our sisters at Sacred Heart Academy to finish the final two years of her basic education. It was while she was there that she felt the call to religious life and so a few months after graduation she entered the postulancy and began her religious formation at Sacred Heart College in Regina.

Early Professional Life

After her profession of vows in July 1957 Teresa began her years of service in community, first as laundress and then as chief cook in the formation house, a task which she loved. In the fall of 1958 she began her teaching career at St. Augustine’s, the parish school in Brandon and later taught at St Edward’s in Winnipeg. After taking her teacher training course she received the silver medal for the highest standing in primary methods. Teresa’s 11 years in education focused on the initial primary grades.

While in Brandon Teresa participated with a group of Christian pastors in a radio program designed to bring the message of Jesus to the people of Brandon and area. These were short 2-3 minutes spots. The coordinator of the program compiled Teresa’s contribution in a book and they were gems of clarity and inspiration.

After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1971 Teresa’s apostolate shifted when she began working in the Regina Archdiocesan Marriage Tribunal under the tutelage of Msgr. Kinlin as an auditor for four years.

Parish Ministry

In the years that followed after assisting in several city parishes she pioneered in parish ministry in a remote area of Ontario on a first nation reserve and later in several rural parishes in Saskatchewan. In this ministry she brought the liturgical and sacramental life of the church to those who might be otherwise deprived because of a shortage of ordained ministers.

Later Years and Declining Health

Her last parish was St. Henry’s in Melville, Saskatchewan where she was involved in all phases of parish life including presiding over lay led prayer services in the parish church, in the hospital chapel, at the Senior Home as well as Prayer Vigils for the deceased. After 14 years with her beloved friends in Melville she finally had to retire because of ill health.

Seeking better medical attention Teresa moved to Regina in 2019. She resided first at Trinity Manor, a senior retirement home and then as her health deteriorated further she was moved to Wascana Rehabilitation Center where she was able to get dialysis treatment for her failing kidneys.

Gifts to Remember

One outstanding gift that many sisters remember about Teresa was her talent for sincerely recognizing the gifts of others and of affirming and encouraging the laity especially in the sharing of these gifts in the service of the People of God.

Teresa courageously sought wholeness and healing throughout her life. She was faithful on her spiritual journey and awaited God’s final call with a peaceful and thankful heart – deeply grateful to God and to her sisters for all they had done for her.

After her stroke Teresa could not remember the name of our Sister animator and would always refer to her as “the one who always comes”. That moniker was also true of Teresa. May Teresa now rest in peace.