NC - Winter 2019

Nazareth
SISTERS OF
THE HOLY
FAMILY OF
NAZARETH //
VOL 13 //
// NO 3 //
WINTER 2019
CONNECTIONS
FAMILY IS THE HEART OF OUR MISSION
A Nazareth Welcome
for Our Affiliates and
Postulant
STORY BEGINS ON PAGE 4

MESSAGE FROM THE PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR
Listen
EXPERIENCE GOD’S PRESENCE
IN GENTLE SOUNDS
Sr. Kathleen Maciej, Postulant Kayla Danks, Sr. Marietta
Osinska, and Sr. Gemma Pepera
Dear Friends of Nazareth,
Can you recall the last time you
paused to listen to the sound of the
wind, to the flickering of a candle,
to the rustling of leaves, or to the
crackling of wood burning? So often,
these and other gentle sounds are
present in our midst, yet we are
not even aware of them because
of the many external sounds that
surround us – the noise from traffic,
construction, emergency vehicles,
televisions, radios, excited children,
cell phones, computers, dogs barking.
Our awareness and attentiveness
to the gentle and quiet sounds in
our lives can only become possible
when we set aside all those noisy
distractions and interruptions, when
we center our lives in the present
moment and embrace the solitude and
silence in which we become one with
God, experiencing inner peace. Our
God is a God of silence and peace.
The Rule of Saint Benedict begins with
the words: “Listen with the ear of the
heart.” We may ask ourselves how
this is possible. What does it mean to
listen with the ear of the heart?
To listen with the ear of the heart,
requires finding silence within
ourselves and quiet in our external
world. It requires the emptying of
ourselves from all that clutters our
lives in order to create a place of
solitude, silence, and inner peace in
which we can prepare to experience
God’s presence and His gentle voice in
the depths of our inner selves.
In this issue of Nazareth Connections,
you will meet Katie Allen, Kayla Danks,
Becky Garcia, Binh Nguyen, and Molly
Spiering (beginning on page 4) who
have experienced what it means to
“listen with the ear of the heart.” For
the past several years, these women
have been engaged in a discernment
process to determine their vocation
to religious life; they set aside time
each day to encounter God in silence
and solitude; and, they listened
attentively to the gentle voice of God.
“Listening with the ear of the heart”
readied them to embark on a new
journey in their lives with the Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Also in this issue, you will read Sr.
Marcella Louise Wallowicz’s reflection
(beginning on page 14) about
preparing ourselves for the feast
of Our Savior’s birth. She writes of
the “pre-holiday angst” we can find
ourselves in when we fail to quiet our
inner and outer worlds.
Friends of Nazareth, as we begin the
Advent and Christmas season, I invite
you to enter into the experience of
“listening with the ear of the heart.”
Take moments to listen to the gentle
sounds of the season. Through silence
and solitude, may you, too, experience
God’s presence and hear His gentle
voice. May the inner peace you
experience be shared with all whom
you meet each day.
Lovingly in JMJ,
Sister Kathleen Maciej
HOW ARE YOU CALLED TO LOVE?
We invite you to pray with us, to listen to God’s call with us and to love with us
as we find God in ordinary experiences. Learn more about our community life,
our ministries and our mission at nazarethcsfn.org/join-us. Or contact
Sr. Emmanuela Le, CSFN, National Vocation Director, at 972-641-4496 x111
or vocations@nazarethcsfn.org.
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5
12
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VOLUME 13 //
NUMBER 3 //
WINTER 2019
Nazareth Connections is published
three times a year by the Sisters of
the Holy Family of Nazareth
in the USA.
Editor:
Tammy Townsend Denny
Proofreaders:
Sr. Clare Marie Kozicki
Sr. Jude Carroll
Sr. Lucille Madura
Contents
VOCATION
4 Prayers for our new
affiliates and postulant
SERVICE CORPS
8 Meet our 2019 Holy Family
Service Corps Volunteers
REFLECTION
12 Religious life during the
exodus
14 A Christmas Reflection
IN MEMORIAM
DEVELOPMENT
ON THE COVER:
Sr. Edyta Krawczyk and Sr. Malgorzata Majszczyk prepares to
welcome our affiliates and postulant.
18
16 Sr. M. Germaine (Josephine)
Grabowska
16 Sr. M. Sylvine (Frances) Czarnecka
17 Sr. M. Madeline (Catherine) Kanich
18 Morning with the Sisters
18 Oktoberfest 2019
19 Pray the Holy Family
Novena with us
Editorial Board:
Sr. Angela Szczawinska
Sr. Barbara Frances Samp
Sr. Carol Szott
Sr. Jude Carroll
Sr. Kathleen Ann Stadler
Sr. Lucille Madura
Sr. Marcelina Mikulska
Sr. Marcella Louise Wallowicz
Sr. Mary Louise Swift
Sr. Teresilla Kolodziejczyk
Katherine Barth
Design/Print:
McDaniels Marketing
Questions, comments, suggestions?
Please contact:
Communications Department
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
310 N. River Road,
Des Plaines, IL 60016
847-298-6760, x144
ttownsend@nazarethcsfn.org
nazarethcsfn.org
facebook.com/csfn.usa
twitter.com/csfn_usa
instagram.com/csfn.usa
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
3

VOCATION
Prayers for our new
affiliates and postulant
WELCOME KATIE, BECKY, BINH, MOLLY, AND KAYLA
4

Surrounded by friends and family,
Katie Allen, Becky Garcia, Binh
Nguyen, and Molly Spiering became
affiliates of the Sisters of the Holy
Family of Nazareth on September 28
at Jesus the Good Shepherd Convent
in Grand Prairie, TX. As affiliates,
Katie, Becky, Binh, and Molly will live
with our sisters at our newly opened
House of Discernment in Richardson,
TX. Sr. Michele Vincent Fisher is
serving as their director.
Katie, a Texas native, has been
actively discerning her vocation
since 2011. She is currently working
as an English and Spanish teacher
at John Paul II High School in Plano,
TX. From a large, loving family, Katie
was drawn to a deeper discernment
with our Congregation because of
the holiness our sisters find within
ordinary life. She also is attracted to
our “commitment to praying for and
serving families.” In both her daily
living and in her spiritual life, she
enjoys the communal aspect of being
an affiliate.
Becky, also originally from Texas, is
one of three siblings. Raised in a “little
family with great love and care,” she
earned her bachelor’s degree in art
with a focus on ceramics from the
University of Dallas in Irving, TX. She
currently works as the young adult
coordinator and assistant to the
youth minister at Holy Spirit Parish in
Duncanville, TX. She was called to the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
because of “the beautiful faith of [our]
Mother Foundress and the tenderness
the sisters have towards one another.”
She began discerning her vocation in
the fall of 2017.
Binh was born in Vietnam where
her younger sister and parents still
live. She has been in the U.S. for five
years and has two siblings in North
Carolina. “We are far in distance, but
close in heart,” she explained. Binh
is currently pursuing an associate of
science degree at Brookhaven College
in Farmers Branch, TX. It is the love
she sees among our sisters that drew
her to discern with the Congregation.
“God invited me to come, taste, and
see,” she said. “…I am grateful for all
the love that I received.”
continued on page 6...
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
5

VOCATION
Molly was raised on a farm in Powell,
WY in a family who “loves good
conversations, hard work, expeditions
to the mountains… and laughter.”
One of 11 children, she earned a
bachelor’s degree in theology from
Christendom College in Front Royal,
VA. She is currently working as a
housekeeper at Nazareth Retreat
Center in Grand Prairie, TX and as
the RCIA Coordinator at St. Anthony’s
Parish in Wylie, TX. Our Mother
Foundress’ “emphasis on seeking
holiness through imitating the Holy
Family’s life at Nazareth” really speaks
to Molly’s heart.
Please pray with us for these young
women as they share in our life of
prayer and community and get to
know our Congregation better.
For more information on our affiliacy
program, please contact our vocation
director, Sr. Emmanuela Le,
at vocations@nazarethcsfn.org.
6
CONGRATULATIONS, KAYLA
Also on September 28 in Grand Prairie, TX, the Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth welcomed Kayla Danks
as a postulant. Kayla has spent the past year as an affiliate
of our Congregation, beginning a transition from secular
life and readying herself for postulancy. With Sr. Marietta
Osinska as her director, she will spend approximately two
years in a period of structured discernment. Growing up
in Wichita Falls, TX, Kayla was first attracted to religious
life after watching the Sound of Music. Her interest in
becoming a Catholic sister continued into adulthood when
she began attending our discernment retreats. “I fell in love
with Nazareth when I learned what the charism is,” said
Kayla. She is currently a full-time student at Mountain View
College in Dallas.

SR. KAROLYN REFLECTS ON NEW LIFE
IN THE CONGREGATION AND HER
OWN DISCERNMENT
Having affiliates discerning and a
postulant entering the Congregation is
a sign of new life and a future for our
Congregation. These young women
offer challenges that are enhancing
our life in community, showing us
there is a need for openness to new
ways of thinking and calling for a
willingness to accept changes that are
happening as a gift from God.
As for my own discernment, it
began when I was in grade school
spending time with the sisters. At this
time I felt a desire to live with the
sisters upon graduation from grade
school. I was encouraged to wait
until I graduated high school. During
this time, I attended vocation fairs
collecting information about many
congregations; however, I always
returned to the Sisters of the Holy
Family of Nazareth. I was drawn
to them because of their warm
hospitality and prayer life. I spent
much time helping them and praying
with them while I discerned my
vocation.
Sr. Karolyn Stobierski entered the Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth in 1964.
She currently serves on the office staff
at St. Adalbert Catholic Academy in
Elmhurst, NY.
Our new affiliates Becky Garcia,
Molly Spiering, Katie Allen, and Binh
Nguyen
Our new postulant Kayla Danks
(center) with Sr. Marietta Osinska
(left) and Sr. Gemma Pepera (right)
Our affiliates receive candles from
Sr. Kathleen Maciej, provincial
superior, during a ceremony that
included several readings
Each affiliate receives a medal of
the Holy Family and our Mother
Foundress during the Rite of Affiliacy
Our new postulant Kayla Danks
Postulant Kayla receives a medal of
the Holy Family from Sr. Kathleen
Maciej, provincial superior
Sr. Karolyn Stobierski (left) with Sr.
Angela Szczawinska
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
7

SERVICE CORPS
Meet our 2019 Holy
Family Service
Corps Volunteers
“We are all called to emulate the Holy
Family,” explained Ryan Crawford,
one of five Holy Family Service
Corps (HFSC) volunteers who is
serving this year at Holy Family
Institute, a sponsored ministry of
the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth in Pittsburgh. Ryan went on
to quote from Pope St. John Paul II’s
Familiaris Consortio, “Through God’s
mysterious design, it was in that
family that the Son of God spent long
years of a hidden life. It is therefore
the prototype and example for all
Christian families.”
“Family is the backbone of society,”
Ryan said, “and the starting point
for building authentic, healthy
relationships.”
Authentic, healthy relationships
that further God’s love through
service to families are exactly
what HFSC strives to develop
among its volunteers during their
year of service in the Pittsburgh
area. HFSC, an extension of the
ministry of Holy Family Institute
and the Sisters of the Holy Family
of Nazareth, ties together the gifts
of prayer, service, and community
to offer volunteers a powerful
opportunity to be the change they
want to see in the world. Not only
do volunteers grow professionally,
personally, and spiritually but they
also interact with our sisters, learning
our core values of faithful listening,
loving relationships, and discovering
God in the ordinary experiences of
daily life. While serving in one of Holy
Family Institute’s ministries, volunteers
live communally and earn the
opportunity for an education grant
“The greatest joy I have experienced is seeing the
difference that I can make in each student’s life,”
at the conclusion of their service or
earn a master’s degree, depending
upon the program they have chosen.
Originally from Hershey, PA and with
a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh,
Ryan is spending his service year coteaching
religion classes at Nazareth
Prep. Ryan joins volunteers Julia
Natalia, Adele Smith, Keilah Gussie,
and Maria Montoya to form this year’s
HFSC volunteer group.
For Julia Natalia, a native of
Pittsburgh’s Springdale area and
a recent graduate of Seton Hill
University in Greensburg, PA with
a Bachelor’s degree in English
Literature and English 7 – 12 teaching
certification, HFSC has helped her
develop a sense of belonging and
purpose as she co-teaches cultural
literacy at Nazareth Prep.
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NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
9

10
“The greatest joy I have experienced
is seeing the difference that I can
make in each student’s life,” explained
Julia. “We are helping to shape
the future of the world by helping
these students to reach their fullest
potential.”
Like Julia, volunteer Adele Smith finds
great joy in helping the students at
Nazareth Prep create “a culture of
empathy and kindness” as she assists
first year students and supports
special needs students. With a
Bachelor’s degree in English Education
7 – 12 with a concentration in Speech
and Communication from Penn State,
Adele was attracted to HFSC for “the
social justice standards and criteria
they have set for themselves as an
organization.”
These ideals along with the
opportunity to live in a community
are what attracted Keilah Gussie
to HFSC. As the daughter of career
Navy parents, Keilah has traveled all
over the world. With a Bachelor’s
degree in Exceptional Learning from
the University of Mary in Bismarck,
ND, she is spending her service
year writing a literacy and reading
intervention program for grades K – 8
for Holy Family Institute’s Specialized
Learning School. “Like any job or
task, you have great days, bad days,
and everything in between,” she said.
“I have experienced all of them, but
each day I am starting to see small
improvements and that makes it
worth any challenge.”
A willingness to embrace challenges
characterizes the volunteer service
Maria Montoya provides at Holy
Family Institute’s Journey of Hope
Program. Originally from Honduras,
Maria provides nurturing and loving
childcare for unaccompanied minors
who await sponsorship in the U.S.
Along with other Journey of Hope
staff, Maria works to provide a safe
and hopeful environment for the
children, many of whom have endured
long, perilous journeys. In addition to
her work with the children, Maria also
is learning to live in community with
the other HFSC volunteers as they
negotiate how to shop for groceries
or which movie to watch together.
It is this community life which Keilah
says “is an adventure of its own.”
As complete strangers coming
from various backgrounds and with
different likes and dislikes, the five
volunteers have had to learn how to
function quickly as a community. For
this year’s group, the communitybuilding
experience was hastened by
the arrival of an unexpected visitor
-- Steven the snake, who inadvertently
got into the building not long after the
volunteers arrived.

“For the next 30 minutes [after
discovering the snake], we were trying
to figure out what we were going to
do with our new friend,” said Keilah.
A lot of cooperation along with a
few jokes and some laughter resulted
in phone calls to their supervisor,
one of the volunteer’s mom, and the
handyman for the building. Of course,
they had to name their new slithering
friend, too. After a few tense moments,
Steven was safely returned to the wild
with the assistance of the building’s
handyman. “After that experience, it
became a lot easier to get to know
each other,” Keilah said.
Experience with snakes is not a
requirement to be a HFSC volunteer;
however, a willingness to live simply
and in community with others along
with a healthy sense of humor is
needed.
Ryan Crawford, Keilah Gussie, Maria
Montoya, Julia Natalia, and Adele
Smith during their commissioning
ceremony.
The HFSC volunteers with Srs. Maria
Kruszewski, Audrey Merski, and
Mary Lou Kwiatkowski.
This year’s volunteers with Sr. Linda
Yankoski, president and CEO of Holy
Family Institute and Lynn Guerra,
director of volunteer services at Holy
Family Institute.
To learn more about how you or someone you know can become a
HFSC volunteer, please visit nazarethcsfn.org/service-corps/long-termservice
or contact Lynn Guerra, Director of Volunteer Services at Holy
Family Institute, guerra.lynn@hfi-pgh.org.
Service Corps volunteers after their
commissioning ceremony.
Sisters and Holy Family Institute
staff bless the new volunteers during
the commissioning ceremony.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
11

REFLECTION
12
Religious life
during the
exodus
by Sr. Angela Cresswell, CSFN
Editor’s Note: Sr. Angela Cresswell
celebrated her 50th jubilee this year.
As part of the celebration, she was
recognized in the summer issue of
Nazareth Connections where she
mentioned that she entered the Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth at a time
when many were leaving religious life.
The following is a personal reflection
from Sr. Angela in which she shares more
about her experiences during this pivotal
time in the history of vowed religious. Sr.
Angela’s reflection is in no way intended
as dogma or definitive research on
Vatican II or the years that followed.
When Pope John XXIII opened
the windows of Vatican II (1962 –
1965) to shake out the dusty rugs
(antiquated practices) of past decades,
it is doubtful he envisioned losing
so many rugs (laity and religious)
in the aftermath. Although many
people breathed sighs of relief, if
not exhilaration at the changes
in the Church, others may have
struggled to gasp for air fearful of the
outcome of these changes. Several
changes may have been especially
welcome: permission to worship in
the vernacular rather than Latin, to
use contemporary expressions of
song and instruments in worship, to
assume roles in the Liturgy previously
entrusted exclusively to the clergy.
Subsequently, houses of consecrated
religious assembled to discuss
traditions and customs to see
what might deserve an update, a
fresh approach to serving others
both within and without their
congregations. They deliberated
such topics as changes in the habit,
schedules that were more flexible, a
greater freedom for time of private
prayer, individual choices for healthy
physical outlets and vacations –
numerous relevant matters. Surely,
hope sprang eternal with its promises
of revisions. What then happened to
impel so many religious to abandon
the vowed life?
As I reflect on the decades of the 60s
and 70s, it seems that much of society
was changing rapidly, clamoring for
new ways of thinking: politically,

socially, in terms of religion, fashion
and behaviors. Demonstrations for or
against some issues characterized the
era. Perhaps the speed and uncertainty
of outcomes contributed to the sense
of anxiety permeating the atmosphere.
In 1969, I, along with 11 other young
women knocked, and entered the
doors of the Congregation of the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
in Philadelphia. We were far more
aware of what was happening outside
of religious congregations than inside.
The decision to leave religious life
was a deeply personal choice of each
individual for a myriad of reasons.
Because I knew relatively few sisters
well during the first three years of
initial formation, the news of those
leaving did not have a strong impact
on my desire to continue living as a
religious. In addition, as novices, we
were somewhat secluded from the
professed sisters as we were learning
about the vows and community life;
one did not ask questions in those
days.
As my circle of friendships grew, the
relationships that had developed were
altered by those leaving, and I felt the
loss deeply – especially the sisters
who were instrumental in bringing
me to Nazareth. A few friends shared
their reasons for leaving. For others,
I can only speculate that perhaps
the proposed changes were not
fast enough. External changes in
community living may not have kept
pace with the changes in the outside
world, but they would eventually
occur. I would later meet persons
who had left and learned of the
changes in community living. Some
would ask me, “Do you think I should
have stayed?”
I expected religious life to be different
from secular life in some ways and
I still do. I knew that my call and
response to the consecrated life was
not a whim nor a coincidence.
As I celebrate my 50th Jubilee, I
experience a profound gratitude for
my religious vocation, and even more
for God’s fidelity in keeping me.
Sr. Angela holds a PhD in Second
Language Acquisition/Instructional
Technology. She serves as an assistant
professor at Holy Family University (HFU)
and as the director of HFU’s Family
Center, both in Philadelphia. She also is a
Spanish instructor at Nazareth Academy
High School also in Philadelphia.
Sr. Angela Cresswell (left) with Sr.
Daniela Bronka during the Provincial
Assembly in 2018
“Make and keep Our Lord your reason for what you do.”
Sr. Angela at the Provincial Assembly
in 2018
I did not know that as I was entering,
an appreciable number were leaving.
With the optimism of youth, I do not
imagine it would have dampened my
enthusiasm for embracing this new
life. Entering religious life was not
an issue at the time; staying would
become the challenge as it is with any
commitment.
My journey here was neither
predictable nor easy. The words of
both my mentor and novice directress
stream often through my mind: “Make
and keep Our Lord your reason for
what you do.” With deeply spiritual
women as mentors, and my God’s
continual call to an ever-deeper union,
the doubts and struggles that emerge
have not triumphed.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
13

REFLECTION
A Christmas
reflection
by Sr. Marcella Louise Wallowicz, CSFN
The anticipation of the feast of Our
Savior’s birth challenges us to focus
on what is really essential. We may be
conflicted by how the media portrays
Christmas and what our own hearts
reveal. Is the size of the gift really the
measure of the value of a relationship?
The many advertisements aired for
months leading up to the holiday
and Holy Day would have us believe
so. The recently beatified American
Capuchin, Solanus Casey once
counseled, “Material prosperity
becomes the absorbing object of
human endeavor as though there
were nothing higher and better to be
gained.” What greater love, indeed,
what greater gift could God have
given us than His only Son -- the
real reason for the season? St. John
of the Cross reminds us that in the
twilight of life, God will not judge us
on our earthly possessions or human
success but rather on how much we
have loved. Yes, learning how to love
generously is a lifetime task!
Sadly, for many, the preoccupation
is with the transient material world
and the tinsel trappings that begin
long before the Savior’s birth and
barely endure past December 25.
Pursuing what fails to satisfy just
produces an emptiness and a sense
of purposelessness. The pressure of
keeping up with our neighbors and
friends in gift giving, a quid pro quo so
to speak, simply adds to this discord
and anxiety. The continuous piping of
Christmas music over the radio and
the endless Hallmark movies provide
only a brief respite, if at all. For some,
it only heightens the pre-holiday angst
by reminding them of the many tasks
that still need to be done.
You may recall that poignant carpe
diem lecture from Dead Poets Society
where Mr. Keating, portrayed by
Robin Williams, encourages his
young affluent students to seize the
day, but not necessarily in pursuit
of material prosperity but rather to
seek what feeds the soul. For like
the rich man in the Gospel narrative
who tore down his barns in order
to construct larger ones for his
surplus, “Each of us one day will stop
breathing, turn cold and die.” What
will be our legacy? In a more seasonal
allusion, the love of the child Tiny Tim
transforms Ebenezer Scrooge, the
quintessential protagonist in Charles
Dicken’s A Christmas Carol, from a
cold-hearted miser to a model of
generosity and kindness. The love
of the Child at work in our lives is
much more astounding. Not that
we are necessarily cold-hearted but
Jesus warms our hearts and that love
enables us to open our arms and
embrace those around us.
As a child, my family Christmas
celebrations were simple but
meaningful. I grew up in an era
14

where I did not receive every toy or
game that I wanted; however, I had
everything I needed. I experienced
a world that was frugal yet kind.
The love of my parents and siblings
far outweighed the latest craze on
TV. In school, we opened the daily
door on the Advent calendar, sang
carols, decorated classroom trees,
and participated in Christmas plays
and concerts not holiday pageants.
Anticipation would build from
Thanksgiving throughout Advent and
into the Christmas season.
One of my favorite Christmas movies
is National Lampoon’s Christmas
Vacation, because I can identify with
Clark Griswold’s desire that his
children experience a good oldfashioned
family Christmas as I
experience the nostalgia and gratitude
for Christmases past.
As a young religious, I lived with
a sister whom I would call saintly.
Many readers of Nazareth Connections
might remember her: Sr. Michaelann
Delaney. The convent I now live
in (Delaney Hall) has a portrait of
Sr. Michaelann in the lobby with a
plaque containing this inscription
(paraphrased):
“THE GOOD WE DO AND
THE LOVE WE SHOW ARE
OUR LEGACY AND HAVE
THE POWER TO CHANGE
OUR WORLD LONG AFTER
WE ARE GONE.”
In life, Sr. Michaelann lived simply
and touched countless lives as an
educator and through congregational
leadership. In death, she continues to
touch lives. One way is through an
annual tribute grant in her memory
which provides monetary assistance
to families in need. The Gospel writers
agree that our focus should not be
on accumulating possessions but to
“store up treasures in heaven.”
As we reflect on these coming days of
Advent and Christmas, may we come
to a deeper understanding of how
to live more generously and without
regret. As St. John of the Cross
reminds us, “Our moments of being
emptied can prepare us to be filled by
God.” On these dark and wintry days
in which nature may mirror our lives,
may He who has come to redeem us
find a warm and welcoming place in
our hearts.
***********
Sr. Marcella Louise is an Associate
Professor of Mathematics and Assistant
Dean at Holy Family University in
Philadelphia where she earned her BA
in Chemistry. She also holds an MA in
Mathematics from Villanova University
and a PhD in Post-secondary and Adult
Education from Capella University. She
entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth in 1978.
The Christmas tree at Immaculate
Heart of Mary Convent, Monroe, CT.
Sr. Edyta Krawczyk shares the joys
of Our Savior’s birth with children in
Grand Prairie, TX.
FAMILY DAY 2019
A special thank you goes out to our friends and donors who joined us
on November 3 for Family Day at Jesus of Nazareth Convent (Mount
Nazareth) in Philadelphia. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Edward
J. Petner, Jr who received this year’s Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth Tribute Grant. The grant is awarded each year to a person(s)
or organization who exemplifies Sr. Michaelann Delaney’s virtues of
compassion, love, and service toward others. (Sr. Michaelann passed
away in 2002.) Grant honorees receive $5,000 to donate to the
charity of their choice. The Petner’s selected the Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia – Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as their charity.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
15

In Memoriam
16
Sr. M. Germaine
(Josephine)
Grabowska
May 25, 1914 –
July 31, 2019
Sr. Germaine is
remembered for her
calm demeanor, her gracious manners,
and her beautiful smile. Born on May
25, 1914, in Brooklyn, NY to Joseph
and Lottie Grabowski, Josephine, as
she was baptized, was the first of
three children.
Growing up in the Greenpoint
neighborhood of Brooklyn, she
attended St. Stanislaus Kostka School
in Brooklyn where she was inspired
by the good example and kindness of
the sisters, often spending time after
school helping them. At home, she
was the little teacher to her siblings,
sharing everything she learned at
school.
After graduation from St. Stanislaus
Kostka School, Josephine and a few
of her friends decided to attend high
school at the new Nazareth Academy
in Philadelphia with the plan to use
their high school years to discern if
they had a vocation to religious life.
The young girls traveled by train to
Philadelphia and were among the
fi rst class of students to be educated
at the newly constructed Nazareth
Academy High School.
On May 11, 1928, Josephine became a
postulant. Two years later, she entered
the novitiate, receiving the name Sr.
Mary Germaine. She pronounced her
temporary vows on September 1,
1932 and perpetual vows on August
15, 1938.
With a Bachelor’s degree in
Elementary Education from Villanova
University, Sr. Germaine served in
education ministry in Baltimore,
MD; Wading River, NY; Worcester,
MA; Plantation, FL; McAdoo, PA; and
Norristown, PA. At the age of 97,
after 34 years at Visitation BVM in
Norristown where she had taught and
performed unseen but essential tasks
in the convent and in the school, Sr.
Germaine made the decision to retire
to Mount Nazareth in Philadelphia.
At Mount Nazareth, Sr. Germaine
spent her time visiting the sisters in
the infi rmary and keeping current
with her correspondence. After
several months in retirement, Sr.
Germaine needed medical attention
in a hospital for the first time in
97 years, though she remained in
relatively good health for a number of
years after that. Her mind was alert,
and she continued to pray and read.
In July, it became apparent that Sr.
Germaine was becoming very weak.
On July 31, in the 91st year of her
religious life, she peacefully fell asleep
in the Lord. Her Mass of Resurrection
was August 4 at Jesus of Nazareth
Convent (Mount Nazareth) in
Philadelphia.
Sr. M. Sylvine
(Frances)
Czarnecka
January 10, 1924
– October 3, 2019
Sr. Sylvine was a
woman of deep prayer and strong
will. During her 78 years in religious
life, she spread the Kingdom of God’s
love with kindness, concern, and
thoughtfulness.

Born on January 10, 1924 to
Alexander and Sophie (Kosinska)
Czarnecki and baptized Frances Mary,
she was the oldest of five children.
From the beginning, our foundress had
an important place in Frances’ life. In
the sixth grade at St. Stanislaus Bishop
and Martyr School in Ozone Park, NY,
Frances contracted double pneumonia.
Our sisters came to her home to
place on her a relic of Blessed Mary
of Jesus the Good Shepherd (Frances
Siedliska), our foundress. Later Sr.
Sylvine wrote of the experience,
“No one expected me to live. I
was hospitalized, and then sent to a
sanatorium to recuperate. After four
months, I returned home and was
on time to receive the Sacrament of
Confirmation.”
She attended Nazareth Academy,
arriving there in September 1939, and
entered the Congregation on June 10,
1941. As a second year novice, she and
other novices helped the World War
II effort by embroidering designs in
banners for the various corps of the
U.S. Armed Forces. She and her novice
group also cut and sent out hosts for
Mass to chaplains on the European
front. She professed her final vows on
August 15, 1950.
From 1944-1946, she attended
Holy Family Teacher Training School
in Philadelphia, receiving a normal
certificate for teaching. She also
received a Bachelor’s degree in
Education from Holy Family College
(now University) in Philadelphia and
a Master’s in Biology from Villanova
University, Pennsylvania. Always an
avid learner, Sr. Sylvine attended Holy
Cross College and Boston College,
earning additional credits in Physics,
Chemistry, and Biological Sciences.
Her first mission was to Hato Rey,
Puerto Rico, where she spent nine
years teaching in both Colegio
Espirito Santo and in missions in
Quintana, P.R. She also served in
schools in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts,
New York, and Connecticut. She
taught 32 years on the elementary
school level and 27 years on the high
school level.
After a long illness, Sr. Sylvine died
on October 3 at Immaculate Heart
of Mary Convent in Monroe, CT. Her
Mass of Resurrection was celebrated
October 7 at the convent chapel.
Sr. M. Madeline
(Catherine)
Kanich
August 26, 1940 –
October 8, 2019
With kindness,
generosity, and
sensitivity, Sr. Madeline touched many
lives with her warm-hearted, good
humor and with her commitment to
serving families. Born on August 26,
1940 to John and Ann (Jacubovics)
Kanich in New York City, she was
baptized Catherine Kanich at St. John
Nepomucene Church and became a
member of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish,
Greenpoint, Brooklyn when her family
moved there. She entered the Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth on
September 8, 1956 and professed her
final vows on August 11, 1965.
Sr. Madeline earned a Bachelor of
Arts degree in Psychology from Holy
Family University in Philadelphia
in1969 and a Master of Social Work
from St. Louis University, Missouri in
1971.
Her first assignment was to teach
in St. Mary’s Elementary School,
Worcester, MA. After six years of
ministry there, she devoted her life
to Little Flower Children’s Services
in Wading River, NY where she
spent 27 years as a social worker.
She also served as a cottage mother
and adoption supervisor. Her strong
advocacy for the children she
represented was a blessing to so many.
After her retirement from social
work in 1998, she continued at Little
Flower as an econome/buyer, ordering
food and supplies for the institution.
In 2016, Little Flower honored Sr.
Madeline for her 50 years of service
to the organization, recognizing her
for “enabling the ‘lights’ of so many
Little Flower youngsters to shine over
the long years of her career.”
In January 2016, Sr. Madeline came
to live at Immaculate Heart of Mary
Convent, Monroe, CT to receive
nursing care due to an injury. A
specially made electric wheelchair
enabled her to maneuver through the
corridors of the convent to the dining
room, chapel, and community room
and was often seen in the chapel
making visits to Jesus. She served as
the convent’s assistant superior, a
moderator for the Associates of the
Holy Family, and a member of the
Holy Family Grant Review Board.
After a short illness, Sr. Madeline
passed away peacefully on October
8. Her Mass of Resurrection was
celebrated October 11 at the
Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent
chapel, Monroe, CT.
Donations in memory of
a deceased sister may be
mailed to Development Office,
Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth, 310 N. River Rd.,
Des Plaines, IL 60016. Please
include a note with the name
of the sister you are giving
in memory of. Donations
may also be made online at
nazarethcsfn.org/support-us/
donate-now/.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
17

DEVELOPMENT
Thank you from our
Development Office
MORNING WITH
THE SISTERS
More than 100 friends and sisters
celebrated Mass and enjoyed
breakfast at our annual Morning
with the Sisters, held at our convent
in Grand Prairie, TX. We love that
the only purpose of this event is to
celebrate our friendships with so
many wonderful people! (photo right)
OKTOBERFEST 2019
Thanks to Sr. Clare Marie Kozicki and her committee for all the hard work
they did in organizing this year’s Oktoberfest fundraiser near Chicago. Some
350 sisters and friends of Nazareth gathered for delicious German food, raffles,
silent auction, and rock-and-roll music performed by an Elvis impersonator, Rick
Saucedo. Proceeds from the event will be used to assist the Sisters of the Holy
Family of Nazareth’s outreach to families.
For our sisters, just being with friends and benefactors is the best part of any
gathering. We are grateful that so many take time out of their busy schedules to
attend our Oktoberfest fundraiser. (photos above and left)
18

PRAY THE HOLY FAMILY NOVENA WITH US
The Feast of the Holy Family is celebrated on the Sunday between Christmas and January 1. This year the feast falls on
December 29. Since 1989, friends of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth have joined us in praying the special Holy
Family Novena, written by Sr. Cathy Fedewa, for the nine days leading up to this feast.
Each day of the prayer focuses on a different aspect or form of family life, some of them non-traditional. “For all families...
for new families... for families in pain... for persons without families... for our brothers and sisters throughout the world...”
Sr. Cathy explains, “When I was thinking about this prayer, all of those different aspects of family life came to me.”
That year the sisters in Pittsburgh received ecclesiastical
permission from the Diocese of Pittsburgh to print the novena;
they sent it to friends and family on their mailing list, invited
them to join the sisters in praying the novena. Eventually, the
custom spread across what is now the U.S. province of the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth - and beyond.
We invite you to join in spirit with this worldwide time of
prayer and also to use this novena at any time of the year. The
novena is available on our website at nazarethcsfn.org/prayer/
holy-family-novena.
We also invite you to watch our Holy Family Novena video
series featuring our sisters reading the novena. The videos are
available online at bit.ly/CSFNHolyFamilyNovena.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2019
19

310 N River Rd.
Des Plaines, IL 60016
www.nazarethcsfn.org
Non-profit
Organization
U.S. Postage
Paid
Des Plaines, IL
Permit No. 340
MAKING A BEQUEST: GIVING A
GIFT THAT LIVES ON
Is there a CSFN sister who was influential in your life—someone
who helped you become the person you are? Maybe she taught
you reading or prayed for you at a difficult time?
One way you can honor her or her memory is by remembering
the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in your Will. By
carefully planning your Will, you can remember those charities
and organizations which have been close to your heart
throughout your life.
If you would like more information about remembering the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in your Will, or if you
have already done so, please contact Katherine Barth at
kbarth@nazarethcsfn.org or 847-298-6760, ext. 143.
We, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, are called to extend the Kingdom of God’s love among ourselves and
others by living the spirit of Jesus, Mary and Joseph whose lives were centered in the love of God and one another.
We witness to this love through dedicated service to the Church, especially in ministry to the family.