While small in stature, Sister Viola's presence was larger than life. One of eleven children in her family, she grew up in Utah with a love of sports and was particularly fond of basketball, volleyball, and baseball. In 1951, Sister Viola entered the Sisters of the Holy Cross in Notre Dame, Indiana. She began her ministry of teaching in 1954 and made an impact in classrooms in California, Washington, Utah, Idaho, and Texas. Each stop along the way saw her avidly support her schools' teams.
Sister Viola retired to Saint Mary’s in 2001 after her time serving in teaching and parish ministry. After undergoing a surgery shortly after arriving in the Midwest, she met then-athletic director Lynn Kachmarik, and her path to be one of the most noteworthy and impactful fans of Belles Athletics was forged. The SoccerBelles were her team, and Saint Mary's Athletics was her new home away from home. She did not miss a game – even after open heart surgery or after battling breast cancer – and she was determined to always have the best seat in the house. From the sidelines of the soccer pitch to her own reserved chair at the top of the steps in the gym, Sister Viola was there. Her ministry in retirement might have been officially titled "Ministry of Prayer", but those who knew her know it was actually Belles Athletics.
By 2005, she had a full-page article written about her ministry with Athletics published in the Observer with a front-page photo of her in her habit cheering at the railing during a volleyball match. In that same article, she credited her involvement with the teams for energizing her physically, mentally, and spiritually. "It's been a lifesaver," she was credited with saying.
The memories she left with those she encountered wide and varied. For some, it is her voice from standing atop the upper level of Angela Athletic Facility in the middle of a basketball game yelling "shoot more threes!". Or perhaps it is memories of her in her over-sized soccer parka – a highly revered gift from former soccer coach Caryn Mackenzie – as she stood in the middle of the pregame huddle telling the team to say "God bless you!" any time an opposing player kicked them or said something rude. For others, it is the mental image of her bag of treats – popcorn, Snickers bars, and any other candy she could manage – loaded to the brim after an event. For others still, it is a memory of trying to politely yet pointedly get her to vacate the softball dugout in the middle of an inning. Sister Viola had a wide-reaching impact on Saint Mary's Athletics. And for every one of those memories and countless more, those who knew her likely recall those things, give their heads a little shake, and perhaps give a sly smile much like Viola's.
In a memorial written after her passing, the Division for Mission shared this:
Sister Viola spoke sincerely when she said, "Following the Rules [of the congregation] was the road to sanctity," and she was strict in her own interpretation of this concept.
As anyone who has participated in or worked in athletics knows, it is not necessarily the rules of the game – it is how you play it. Sister Viola is a testament to that spirit of how it is meant to be played.
