Sister Teresa Gould, FH, a Franciscan hermit, has passed into eternal life on the feast day of Saint Clare, a fitting transition for one whose life mirrored the Franciscan spirit of devotion and music.

Ah! What can I say about someone who deeply etched my life with her presence? She became a sister, a maternal figure, a guiding light in my own vocation and an irreplaceable friend. Her friendship fulfilled a yearning to embrace my own music as I journeyed through life. She had a way of touching my soul with God’s immense love.

I am forever indebted to her for all she did for me. Nearing the end of undergraduate pursuits she took us out for meals and we shared many laughs a minute. While she spent her ministerial career as Liturgy and Music Coordinator at the hilltop, her heart in some way always remembered Santa Barbara and her life in California. That was something we enjoyed in common – music and life in the Golden State.

She inspired me as my Capstone Director and guided my creativity as I wrote my first Mass Setting and a few compositions. She wanted me to open my creativity to the mountain tops and shout with joy to the Lord.

When I returned a decade later for my doctorate program, Sister and I visited on several occasions. She continued to walk her dogs and feed the squirrels on the hilltop.

The vivid memory of a quote inscribed upon the signpost outside Father Keolker’s office, just beyond the choir room door, remains. In those quiet moments before schola rehearsal, I reflected on its words. Reflecting on those special years, these words now serves as a timeless echo of Sister’s devoted life. Her love, a force so profound, has forever become a part of my own story. The quote is from Saint Francis:

Sister Teresa … Your absence is felt, I will miss you, and I am forever indebted for what you have done for me.