Sister Victoria Anne Olivares, OSB was born in San Antonio, one of 8 children. Her mother passed away when Sister was young, and she and her brothers and sisters were raised by her father, grandmother, and aunt. She grew up in a very loving family, despite the absence of her mother. She remembers gaining her strong religious background from her grandmother. Sister attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in San Antonio, TX and was taught by the Benedictine Sisters.
It was awhile after her high school graduation that Sr. Victoria Anne visited the Benedictine Sisters on South Alamo Street in San Antonio. She enjoyed the Convent and the Sisters so much that she decided to join them in 1961. She worked at St. Benedict’s Hospital and Nursing Home in food preparation. Sister attended Incarnate Word College, where she earned her BA in Elementary Education and her teaching certification. Over the years, she taught CCD and religious education at many schools within the Archdiocese of San Antonio including St. Benedict, Holy Spirit, and St. Gregory. She also taught for 10 years in the Edgewood School District.
From 2010 to 2012, Sr. Victoria Anne was on Sabbatical, where she gained a renewed spirit. After her sabbatical, Sister Victoria Anne became involved in three different ministries including teaching Catechism to special needs youth at St. Peter the Apostle Catholic Church in Boerne; teaching RCIA (The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) classes at Prince of Peace Church in San Antonio; and teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for mothers from Mexico at the Presentation Ministry Center in San Antonio.
Now retired, Sister says, “I listened to God’s call and that has been very rewarding. I pray for all – my family, many friends, vocations, my Community and our world – God is still in charge!”