By Helen Healy
I first heard about Sister Annella Zervas when my husband, Tim, and I were helping to bring FOCUS—the Fellowship of Catholic University Students—to St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. One of the missionaries, Dan Tracy—now, Fr. Dan Tracy—told us about a man named Patrick Norton from St. Cloud who had Sister Annella appear to him near the grotto at St. Benedict’s, where she is buried.
Intrigued, I reached out to Patrick and his wife. We arranged to meet at the grotto, where we prayed the Rosary together and visited Sister Annella’s grave. As we prayed, Patrick shared his experience. “She looked at me with such peace and said, ‘You are doing a good job,’” he recalled. That story stirred something in me and drew me to learn more about Sister Annella’s remarkable life of faith.
Prayers at the Grave and a Family Healing
Not long after, one of our daughters suffered a concussion that left her with severe, persistent headaches. Despite trying many treatments, nothing seemed to help. As we prepared for a pilgrimage to Rome, Italy, I felt a strong prompting to visit Sister Annella’s grave again—this time asking for her intercession so our daughter might be well enough to travel.
We went to the cemetery in St. Joseph, Minnesota, prayed at her grave, and entrusted our daughter’s healing to God through Sister Annella’s prayers. Soon afterward, the headaches lifted, and we were able to go on the pilgrimage together. That experience deepened my faith and showed me the power of asking for the prayers of those who lived lives of holiness.
My Brother Bishop’s Role in Opening the Cause
My brother, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, traveled with us on our pilgrimage to Rome. When I shared Patrick’s experience of Sister Annella appearing to him and our own story, he was deeply moved. “There is something about her witness that draws people in. She suffered greatly, yet with a deep trust in God,” he later told me.
In God’s providence, he was soon appointed Bishop of Crookston—the very diocese where Sister Annella was born (Moorhead, Minnesota). That connection only strengthened his resolve. After prayer and discernment, he will officially open her cause for canonization.
From Personal Experience to a Mission of the Church
Looking back, I can see how God wove everything together: a missionary’s story, a prayer at a quiet graveside, my daughter’s healing, and now the opening of a canonization cause.
Serving on the Board of Directors in support of this work has been humbling. Sister Annella’s story continues to inspire me. When I look at how Sister Annella faced her great suffering, I’m reminded that even the challenges in our own lives can be blessings in disguise. They have a way of drawing us closer to Christ.
About the Author:
Helen Healy is the Mission Director of Trinity Woods Catholic Retreat Center, which she co-founded with her husband, Tim. A mother of seven and grandmother to three, she has dedicated her life to sharing the Catholic faith through small groups, retreats, camps, and missionary programs. Helen also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sister Annella Guild and on the Board of Directors at Benedictine College, her alma mater, where she continues to support Catholic education and leadership. With a deep love for Christ and the Catholic Church, Helen has spent decades nurturing Catholic apostolates such as NET Ministries, FOCUS, Providence Academy, and Cana Family Institute.
