Sister Martha Manchego 77, God’s beloved, passed into eternity March 9, 2007 at Benet Hill Monastery. She was born in Gardener, Colorado to Antonio and Sophia (Salas) Manchego.
Entering Mt. St. Scholastica convent in Atchison, Kansas December 22, 1948, Sister Martha made final Monastic Profession January 1, 1953. She was a charter member of Benet Hill Monastery, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Martha received her BS in education from Mt. St. Scholastica College, Atchison, Kansas and her RN from Penrose School of Nursing, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
For seventeen years, Sister Martha devoted herself to teaching children in Colorado, Kansas and Iowa. Then in 1968, she was asked to enter the ministry of nursing. She said the most life-giving experience of her religious life was working in Denver at the Bella Vita Nursing Home where she dedicated herself to caring for the elderly.
In 1999, Sister Martha celebrated 50 years of vowed life. Reflecting on her life at that time, she said her greatest desire was to “love the Lord with my heart and soul, my neighbor as myself.” She truly lived out her desire and we are greatly privileged to have shared her journey. We will remember her tireless dedication to those in need, her gentleness and kindness, her impish smile, her pleasing hearty laugh and keen sense of humor, her deep love for her family, her community and for her God.
