By Mike Peterson
A few years ago, I came across a little booklet about Sister Annella Zervas at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Moorhead, MN. I brought it home and read it cover to cover. I was deeply moved by the thought that our very own “neck of the woods” had once been home to such a devout soul—and that perhaps, just maybe, she might one day be counted among the Church’s 10,000 recognized saints.
The front of the booklet listed the contact information for a man named Patrick Norton, so I gave him a call. Little did I know that phone call would set me on a path filled with incredible experiences and the joy of meeting amazing friends and companions along the way.
(Above: Mike Peterson (left) and Patrick Norton (right) at the Opening Mass for the Cause of Canonization of Servant of God Annella Zervas at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Crookston, MN. Photo credit: Mike Peterson.)
Related: How Patrick Norton Resparked Devotion to Sister Annella Zervas
Hearing Patrick speak in his perpetually joyful, simple spirit moved me so much that I decided to visit the monthly prayer gatherings held at Sister Annella’s gravesite in St. Joseph, MN. The drive from Grand Forks, ND to St. Joseph is three and a half hours, but it was more than worth the journey to make the trip several times. There is a unique peace that comes from gathering in prayer with others—especially after traveling so far. It truly feels like something set apart.
Before my first visit, Patrick had mentioned that in all the years they’ve been meeting, they had never once been rained out. On my second or third trip, I experienced this—phenomenon, if you want to call it that—for myself. It poured the entire three and a half hours there, and the entire drive home. But during the gathering itself, not a drop fell. Instead, it was as though a great opening of blue sky had broken through the heavy grey above the gravesite, and the sun shone down on us with extraordinary brightness as we prayed together.
My interest in the Catholic faith was originally sparked, in large part, by the website that now-Saint Carlo Acutis created in the early 2000s. I spent many late nights in my college dorm reading through the Eucharistic miracles he shared. When I later encountered Patrick and Sister Annella’s story, I recognized an opportunity to use my own technology-savviness to help carry her story forward and, ultimately, to advance God’s Kingdom.
After the prayer gatherings, Patrick and his wife Sandy have always been so kind and gracious in hosting lunch and fellowship at their home, just a short drive from Sister Annella’s gravesite. What I didn’t expect, however, were the endless boxes of letters and personal items connected to Sister Annella’s life! I have long had a passion and devotion for relics—I’ve even visited St. Anthony’s Chapel in Pittsburgh, where more relics are concentrated in one place than anywhere else in the world—so naturally, I was thrilled to see all of this!
I bought a scanner and built a website for Sister Annella where people could learn about her life, upcoming prayer gatherings, radio interviews, and a YouTube video I created about her. Even then, I barely scratched the surface of the materials Patrick had—treasured items given to him by members of Sister Annella’s family. They had entrusted him with everything, hoping that one day she might be canonized.
Related: Help Advance the Cause: Become a Guild Member
Aside from the letters—which are timeless—there were a few items that truly left me in awe. One was an old French portrait of St. Thérèse, created before her canonization in 1925, when the Catholic world was already deeply in love with her spirit and simplicity. There were also several personal items: a spoon used to feed her during her unbelievable sufferings, a candle that once stood at her bedside, and lastly, her brown scapular.
Her brown scapular—such a humble piece of cloth—rested in my hand. It wasn’t only the likelihood that she had worn it a century ago. It was the realization that this very scapular had once been soaked in blood—most likely her own. The fabric was completely stained.
For most of her life, this small scapular lay close to her heart. It was likely there during the most dramatic moments of her immense suffering, absorbing her pain and her blood. And yet here I stood, nearly one hundred years later—an ordinary man with only a fraction of her faith—holding this sacred object in my hand.
Knowing that Sister Annella had lived only an hour from me (I’m in Grand Forks), I was excited to learn that her family is buried in Moorhead at St. Joseph’s Cemetery on the north end of town. I visited—and there they all were. I also learned that her father once had a butcher’s shop somewhere in Moorhead.
How amazing is this? A devout, holy family from our own region. Sister Annella, a daughter of the Diocese of Crookston—perhaps one day, a Saint from the Red River Valley.
It is almost a sign in itself how far this movement for Sister Annella has come—through prayer, perseverance, and a fidelity that mirrors her own. The Church is beginning to turn her gaze toward her, step by step.
Related: The Cause for Canonization of the Servant of God Annella Zervas Begins
Perhaps one day the local community will be able to visit a dedicated place to learn about their saint — maybe even where her home once stood. There, they could encounter the story of a woman whose unshakable perseverance and radiant joy in the midst of immense suffering became a living testimony that God exists. And through her witness, they may come to hope and believe that their own suffering carries great and redemptive meaning as well.
One day, may we all stand in St. Peter’s Square, cheering “God is with us” and celebrating the life and example of Sister Annella.
About the Author
Mike Peterson is one of the earliest champions of sharing the story of the Servant of God Annella Zervas online. Married and living in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Mike helped lay the digital foundation for her cause by creating her first website and faithfully managing the Facebook page until gifting both to the Sister Annella Guild in 2024. He now continues this mission as a member of the Sister Annella Guild Communications Committee.