Meet Sister Roz, "The Massaging Nun" from St. Paul Saints game fame
ST. PAUL, Minn. — For years, Sister Roz helped keep St. Paul Saints fans relaxed on game day.
She's no longer giving massages at games, but as we celebrate Women's History Month, we wondered where Sister Roz was inspired to channel her love for God through the power of massage.
"As a child, I was sort of praying all the time," said Sister Roz. "I'd be in the garden, I'd be praying as I was out in the field."
Sister Rosalind Gefre, or Roz as most people call her, always knew she was destined to become a nun.
"I went to Mom and I said, 'You know, Mama, I just would like to go into convent,'" she said.
But becoming a massage therapist wasn't part of those plans growing up on a farm in North Dakota.
"Every morning, every noon we had to milk and we didn't have any electricity so we all milked with our hands," she said.
Those strong hands would come in handy years later as she started giving massages, first to her nursing patients, then to fans at Saints games.
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"There is nothing in all the world like massage," she said. "Of course, I was at the Saints for 25 years. It was so wonderful to be out there."
Peter Fahnlander credits Sister Roz for his career as a massage therapist.
"I found purpose in life, and I think Sister has given me that purpose," Fahnlander said.
He's seen firsthand what a massage from Sister Roz can mean.
"She just radiates that beam of love. Just pure love coming out of her heart. She touches people through massage and through her spirituality," he said. "People come up to hug her and she's just a farm girl, she just loves people."
"It always surprises me because I am, in my head, I'm a farm girl and I love being a farm girl, and that's what I still am," she said. "Not someone great, I'm a farm girl in my heart."
The Saints plan to honor Sister Roz this summer with an appreciation night. The first 1,500 fans that go through the gates on Saturday, Aug. 10 will get a bobblehead called "The Massaging Nun."
