Sr. Elizabeth and the team at Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center.

Snow. While many in the world wish it away, Sister Elizabeth Amman loves it. “One of my goals in life is to help people love snow!” she happily says.

“We have winter here! It’s a time of year when everybody comes together in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, for fun in the snow and to help one another whenever there is a need. If needed, I even plow snow with the little John Deere.”

Yet Sister Elizabeth is a Jill of all trades and of all seasons. She is the Director of Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center in Arborvitae, Wisconsin, aka “The Other Marywood”.  She is also a certified spiritual director. For the past nine years she has managed the administration along with marketing, fundraising, and operations for the Spirituality Center owned by the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.

One of the many “other” tasks in Sr. Elizabeth’s job description.

“I’m the only Dominican Sister in the Diocese of Superior,” which includes 16 counties, 15,715 square miles, and 105 parishes in northern Wisconsin.

“Evening, day, multi-day, and extended retreats in this beautiful setting on a lake in the middle of a pine forest; this experience is dramatically different from many spiritual retreat centers. We have cabins, winterized, so people come and go all year round,” says Sister Elizabeth.

Not an unusual sight on any day.

“Nature soothes the soul, it centers me and brings me in touch with the Creator. And to be ministering in this place where we can share the quiet peacefulness of creation is such a blessing in my life. The retreats and programming at `the other Marywood’ is for anyone and includes women and men religious of all orders, adult catechists, and confirmation students and more. Along with traditional retreats, we have unique retreats being in nature’s paradise, such as backpacking, kayaking and fishing.”

Preparing dinner for guests.