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Sister Mary Trinitas went on to study art at the University of Washington, St. Catherine College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the Chicago Art Institute. She earned her master's degree in art from Catholic University in Washington, DC, in 1952. In addition to obtaining her higher education, Sister Mary Trinitas was assigned as a teacher at a variety of Sisters of Providence schools in Washington, Idaho, and Montana before she ultimately began teaching art and French at the University of Providence – then known as the College of Great Falls – in 1933. For the nearly 33 years that followed, Sister Mary Trinitas devoted her time to educating and inspiring her students as the university's first art teacher while simultaneously creating her own work as a prolific multi-media artist. Sister Mary Trinitas was not a woman who limited her artwork to just one medium. Instead, she honed her skills in as many forms as possible. Her versatile trove of work includes woodcarvings, stained glass, metalwork, calligraphy, graphic art, and paintings created using everything from watercolor to pastel to oil, among other media. "She had a very unique signature style that was very Modernist in how she addressed figures and narratives," explained Dena Rigby, a Seale-based art advisor and appraiser, who curated the University of Providence's Galerie Trinitas, where Sister Mary Trinitas' works are now on display. SIGNATURE MONTANA | 47 Determination, faith, innovation, and a steadfast dedication to serving others have been driving forces among the Sisters of Providence since long before they founded the original University of Providence more than 90 years ago. In more ways than one, their legacy is woven into the very fabric of Montana's heritage and culture, both past and present. Consider the steely yet compassionate resolve of Mother Emilie Gamelin, an orphan who lost her husband and three sons by the time she was just 27 years old. Amid crippling grief, she was able to channel her sorrow into works of charity, ultimately resulting in the establishment of the Montreal-based religious community in 1843 that would later become the Sisters of Providence. Or perhaps take a moment to contemplate the fortitude of the four young sisters who the same congregation sent off to the Montana Territory as missionaries in 1864 with the colossal task of creating the area's first school, or the devotion of 39-year-old Mother Mary Julian and the four other Catholic sisters who traveled to the Great Falls area from their Mother House in Montreal in 1892 to turn a 30-by-60-foot wood-framed structure into the fledgling community's first formal hospital. For more than 180 years, this inspiring group of religious women has consistently shaped and influenced our state – and far beyond – as they have worked to build community cornerstones, including schools, charities, community programs, churches, and medical institutions. While many people are familiar with the massive impacts of the Sisters of Providence's contributions in these spheres of society, far fewer are aware of the deep, exquisite imprint one humble member of their congregation made in the world of art and art education. Rosalba Marie Morin was born on June 18, 1908, in Crookston, Minnesota, but spent nearly all her life in Montana. When she was two, her parents moved her and her seven siblings to Missoula, where her father opened a lumber business. Although her father wanted her to become an architect, she was drawn to the church and opted at 21 to take her vows as a Sister of Providence. She was thereaer known by her religious name, Sister Mary Trinitas. A Trailblazer in Art Education Intricately detailed ceramic pottery. Public Domain Photo Ceramic artwork on display at the Galerie Trinitas. Introducing Sister Mary Morin Trinitas

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