NC - 2022 - Winter
SISTERS OF THE HOLY FAMILY OF NAZARETH // VOL 16 // // NO 3 // WINTER 2022 Nazareth CONNECTIONS FAMILY IS THE HEART OF OUR MISSION Knitting Her Way Through Nazareth STORY ON PAGE 12
- Page 2 and 3: MESSAGE FROM THE PROVINCIAL SUPERIO
- Page 4 and 5: VOCATION 4 An Invitation to Nazaret
- Page 6 and 7: NOVICES Welcome Our New Novices SR.
- Page 8 and 9: 8 ASSOCIATES
- Page 10 and 11: 10 Sr. Magdalena Rybak explained, a
- Page 12 and 13: MINISTRY We learned handiwork to ke
- Page 14 and 15: PRAYER Artwork created by Sr. Anton
- Page 16 and 17: IN MEMORIAM In Memoriam 16
- Page 18 and 19: DEVELOPMENT Stay-at-Home Social: Sw
- Page 20: 310 N River Rd Des Plaines, IL 6001
SISTERS OF<br />
THE HOLY<br />
FAMILY OF<br />
NAZARETH<br />
// VOL 16 //<br />
// NO 3 //<br />
WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
Nazareth<br />
CONNECTIONS<br />
FAMILY IS THE HEART OF OUR MISSION<br />
Knitting Her<br />
Way Through<br />
Nazareth<br />
STORY ON PAGE 12
MESSAGE FROM THE<br />
PROVI<strong>NC</strong>IAL SUPERIOR<br />
My dear friends of Nazareth,<br />
It’s hard to believe another year<br />
has come to an end. With the<br />
days becoming shorter and the<br />
Advent season deeply drawing<br />
us into preparation, I find myself<br />
seeking moments of quiet solitude.<br />
I treasure these moments as my<br />
heart, mind, body, and soul are<br />
given an intentional time to rest,<br />
reflect, pray, and hope.<br />
The rich heritage of our Faith,<br />
supported by scripture, tradition,<br />
and the lives of the Saints, shows us<br />
time and again it is indeed in those<br />
quiet moments that we truly can<br />
hear the tender voice of God.<br />
In a quiet moment of everyday life,<br />
we see the Angel Gabriel appearing<br />
to Mary, announcing she is to bear<br />
the Son of God to the world. We<br />
again see in the quiet rest of St.<br />
Joseph a message was given to take<br />
Mary as his wife and, at another<br />
time, to flee from Bethlehem to<br />
avoid Herod’s rage. Countless<br />
times throughout the Old and<br />
New Testaments, in the lives of<br />
the Saints and even our own lives,<br />
we find it is indeed in the quiet<br />
solitude that we can better hear<br />
God’s voice.<br />
Our current world surrounds us<br />
with much noise. Yet daily, God<br />
invites us to seek moments of<br />
quiet solitude, to converse with<br />
Him, to ask Him to help us, to<br />
offer us consolation. But are we<br />
listening enough to stop and take<br />
the time to truly hear what He has<br />
to say?<br />
As I reflect on the articles in this<br />
issue of Nazareth Connections,<br />
I am reminded of the rich fruits<br />
born from seeking prayerful<br />
solitude to dialogue with God. For<br />
in those moments, we not only<br />
hear His voice but also realize the<br />
desire of our hearts, the needs<br />
of others, and the beauty of the<br />
world around us.<br />
We remain grateful for you, our<br />
Nazareth family, who through<br />
this past year have continued to<br />
support us and be beacons of hope<br />
not only for our Sisters here in<br />
the United States, but throughout<br />
the world.<br />
May you and your families find the<br />
incredible peace and solitude of<br />
this Advent season.<br />
In the Holy Family,<br />
Sister Kathleen Maciej, CSFN<br />
HOW ARE YOU CALLED TO LOVE?<br />
We invite you to pray with us, to listen to God’s call with us, and to love with<br />
us as we find God in ordinary experiences. Learn more about our community<br />
life, our ministries, and our mission at nazarethcsfn.org/join-us. Contact<br />
Sr. Emmanuela Le, CSFN, National Vocation Director, at 682-203-967 or<br />
vocations@nazarethcsfn.org.<br />
2
VOLUME 16 //<br />
NUMBER 3 //<br />
WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
Nazareth Connections is published<br />
three times a year by the Sisters of<br />
the Holy Family of Nazareth<br />
in the USA.<br />
Editor:<br />
Rachel Neubauer<br />
Proofreaders:<br />
Sr. Angela Szczawinska<br />
Sr. Mary Ellen Gemmell<br />
Katherine Barth<br />
Sr. Lucille Madura<br />
Amanda Giarratano<br />
Contents<br />
VOCATION<br />
MINISTRY<br />
4 An Invitation to Nazareth<br />
12 Knitting Her Way Through Nazareth<br />
Province Communications Committee:<br />
Sr. Mary Ellen Gemmell<br />
Sr. Angela Szczawinska<br />
Amanda Giarratano<br />
Katherine Barth<br />
Heidi Scheuer<br />
Sr. Emmanuela Le<br />
Sr. Marcella Louise Wallowicz<br />
Sr. Michele Fisher<br />
Sr. Rebecca Sullivan<br />
Sr. Danielle Jacob<br />
NOVICES<br />
6 Welcome Our New Novices<br />
ASSOCIATES<br />
8 Associates of the Holy Family:<br />
Spreading the Love of Nazareth<br />
ON THE COVER:<br />
Sr. Anthony Gracyalny knitting one<br />
of her many creations.<br />
PRAYER<br />
14 Holy Family Chaplet<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
16 Sr. M. Teresita Morales<br />
Sr. Carol Ann Szott<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
18 Updates from the<br />
Development Office<br />
Design/Print:<br />
McDaniels Marketing<br />
Questions, comments, suggestions?<br />
Please contact:<br />
Communications Department<br />
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth<br />
310 N. River Road<br />
Des Plaines, IL 60016<br />
847-298-6760, x144<br />
communications@nazarethcsfn.org<br />
nazarethcsfn.org<br />
facebook.com/csfn.usa<br />
twitter.com/csfn_usa<br />
instagram.com/csfn.usa<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
3
VOCATION<br />
4<br />
An Invitation to<br />
Nazareth<br />
A GUIDING VIEW FROM OUR<br />
VOCATIONS DIRECTOR<br />
In a society where it may seem<br />
religious vocations are a thing of<br />
the past, Sr. Emmanuela Le, CSFN,<br />
will tell you unequivocally that the<br />
witness and mission of the Sisters<br />
of the Holy Family of Nazareth is<br />
still moving full steam ahead.<br />
Serving as the current National<br />
Director of Vocations for the<br />
CSFNs, Sr. Emmanuela is blessed<br />
with a full calendar each day.<br />
Presently residing in Texas, it is<br />
her current responsibility to reach<br />
out to young women all around<br />
the country who are discerning a<br />
desire to further explore the pull<br />
they feel toward a vocation to the<br />
religious life. She, along with the<br />
vocation team, travels to retreats<br />
and conferences nationwide<br />
serving the young women they<br />
encounter. This ministry is a<br />
perfect fit for Sr. Emmanuela, who<br />
felt drawn to be a witness to the<br />
role with her “one conviction and<br />
desire: to make God known and<br />
loved by everyone.”<br />
“Being a Vocation Director allows<br />
me to offer these young women<br />
a listening heart and a guiding<br />
hand, leading them to Christ,”<br />
Sr. Emmanuela explained.
“It is in their<br />
‘relationship with<br />
Christ — a one-toone<br />
conversation<br />
with Christ,’”<br />
terminology coined by Bishop<br />
Fulton Sheen in his book, Treasure<br />
in Clay, “that they will be able to<br />
determine which thoughts, feelings,<br />
and desires in their hearts are<br />
of God and which are not, and<br />
eventually they are able to make<br />
that generous response. A vocation<br />
is all about love, and love is all about<br />
making a gift of oneself.”<br />
This is something keenly felt by Sr.<br />
Emmanuela, who can see echoes<br />
of her own vocation story in each<br />
young woman who approaches<br />
to gain a better understanding of<br />
Nazareth. With nearly 25 years<br />
of service as a Sister of the Holy<br />
Family of Nazareth, Sr. Emmanuela’s<br />
warmth and welcoming attitude,<br />
coupled with fond remembrance<br />
of her first days learning about<br />
Nazareth, keep her accessible to<br />
each young woman who begins to<br />
discern. Her own early encounters<br />
with Catholic Sisters were with<br />
the Franciscans, who were her<br />
teachers and catechists and saw<br />
in her the subtle beginnings of her<br />
own vocation.<br />
When Sr. Emmanuela began to<br />
look deeper into herself — into<br />
her relationship with Christ —<br />
she found herself speaking with a<br />
CSFN Sister. From there, the rest<br />
is history. “This is where God has<br />
always wanted me to take root and<br />
blossom,” Sr. Emmanuela shared<br />
with a smile. In Nazareth, she had<br />
found her home and she holds the<br />
door open for any others who<br />
might choose to follow.<br />
“It seems to me there are a lot<br />
of young people today who want<br />
to make a difference in the world,<br />
but they may not realize religious<br />
life is also a way to do that,”<br />
she explained. “To all the young<br />
people, you might be confused,<br />
uncertain, afraid, not sure what<br />
to do with the yearning in your<br />
heart. Know that somewhere out<br />
there, a person wants to hear<br />
your story and sift through it<br />
with you. Together, we can listen<br />
for the voice of the Lord. You are<br />
not alone and you don’t have to<br />
discern alone. Take courage!”<br />
To learn more about the<br />
Sisters of the Holy Family of<br />
Nazareth, email Sr. Emmanuela at<br />
vocations@nazarethcsfn.org or<br />
call 682-203-9675.<br />
Sr. Emmanuela Le stops during a<br />
recent discernment retreat to take<br />
a photo with Sr. Pia Marie and Sr.<br />
Angela Szczawinska.<br />
Sr. Emmanuela Le and Sr. Magdalena<br />
Rybak pose for a photo during a<br />
discernment retreat.<br />
Archbishop Christophe Pierre,<br />
Apostolic Nuncio, stopped by<br />
the CSFN booth and gave sisters<br />
his blessing at the SEEK 2020<br />
Conference.<br />
Sr. Emmanuela Le thinks of creative<br />
ways to engage with young adults<br />
during a recent conference.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
5
NOVICES<br />
Welcome Our<br />
New Novices<br />
SR. PIA MARIE AND<br />
SR. MARY I<strong>NC</strong>ARNA<br />
“Reflecting on the holy House of Nazareth,<br />
where Jesus, Mary, and Joseph served the<br />
Eternal Father, and united in thoughts,<br />
sentiments, aspirations, and in fulfilling<br />
God’s divine will, I ask the Lord that you<br />
may lead courageous lives of holy unity,<br />
love, and mutual service so that among you,<br />
like in the Holy Family of Nazareth, love<br />
flourishes and God’s Kingdom grows. I beg<br />
our Divine Lord, that you remain faithful to<br />
Him, cultivate peace, harmony, and love.”<br />
–Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good<br />
Shepherd from Counsels of the Heart.<br />
6
“The soul which aspires to the life<br />
of union with Jesus and accepts its<br />
requirement, will not be harmed by<br />
her weakness, interior opposition,<br />
or sinful tendencies, as long as she<br />
does not yield to them, but focuses<br />
her attention upon Jesus, heeds Him,<br />
and remains devoted to Him.”<br />
— Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good<br />
Shepherd (Frances Siedliska), Rome,<br />
June 16, 1886<br />
On August 7 at our Provincialate<br />
in Des Plaines, IL, our postulants<br />
Rebecca Garcia and Kaitlyn Shelton<br />
became novices during the Rite<br />
of Initiation into the Novitiate.<br />
As novices, these young women<br />
also received their religious names.<br />
Rebecca is now Sr. Mary Incarna<br />
and Kaitlyn is Sr. Pia Marie.<br />
During this novitate period of<br />
their structured discernment, the<br />
novices will work with the novice<br />
director, Sr. Joanna Filip, to deepen<br />
their knowledge about the CSFN<br />
charism, spirituality, and history.<br />
This two-year period includes<br />
additional time for contemplation,<br />
reflection, and structured retreats.<br />
Please pray with us for Sr. Pia Marie<br />
and Sr. Mary Incarna as well as<br />
our second-year novices as they<br />
continue to share in our life of<br />
prayer and community and get to<br />
know our Congregation better.<br />
For more information on<br />
discerning a call to religious life,<br />
please contact our vocation<br />
director, Sr. Emmanuela Le, at<br />
vocations@nazarethcsfn.org.<br />
Sr. Mary Incarna and Sr. Pia<br />
Marie with their former Postulant<br />
Director, their new Novice Director,<br />
and members of the Provincial<br />
Council.<br />
Sr. Mary Incarna and Sr. Pia Marie<br />
stop for a photo with the statue<br />
of Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good<br />
Shepherd outside the Provincialate<br />
Chapel.<br />
Sr. Michele Collins, Assistant<br />
Provincial, leads the Rite of<br />
Investure.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
7
8<br />
ASSOCIATES
Associates of<br />
the Holy Family:<br />
Spreading the<br />
Love of Nazareth<br />
Indeed, the depths of the roots<br />
under the Association of the Holy<br />
Family have allowed it to exist in a<br />
state of continual renewal of both<br />
organizational and spiritual aspects.<br />
As affirmed by Sr. Angela Mazzeo’s<br />
words, though the look of the<br />
Association has evolved over time,<br />
the goal remains the same: sharing<br />
the Sisters’ mission of spreading<br />
the Kingdom of God’s Love, which<br />
was born in the Holy Family with<br />
all who might bear witness and<br />
accept it.<br />
There is a place in Nazareth for<br />
everyone, even those whose path<br />
in life does not lead to a vocation<br />
as a religious sister. Both laymen<br />
and women may feel a call to<br />
Nazareth. For those who do not<br />
see consecrated life in their future,<br />
there is the Association of the<br />
Holy Family (AHF).<br />
Sr. Magdalena Rybak, CSFN, has<br />
served as the National Director<br />
of the Association of the Holy<br />
Family since 2019. When someone<br />
is interested in becoming an<br />
Associate, they will formally<br />
undergo a time of discernment<br />
similar to those who seek to enter<br />
the Novitiate. The Association of<br />
the Holy Family may not carry<br />
the responsibilities of a vowed<br />
religious, but it is a sincere<br />
commitment of faith nonetheless.<br />
Earlier this summer, Superior<br />
General Sr. Angela Marie Mazzeo,<br />
CSFN, addressed Associates and<br />
Directors from around the world<br />
during the <strong>2022</strong> World Meeting of<br />
Families in Rome. “The Association<br />
has gone through different stages<br />
and has developed according to<br />
different timelines in the various<br />
parts of the congregation,” she<br />
said. “The idea of a group of laity<br />
collaborating with the Sisters is<br />
a concept that dates back to the<br />
time of Mother Foundress.”<br />
“Thanks to our<br />
Association, our<br />
Congregation has<br />
more opportunities<br />
to be fully present<br />
in today’s world,<br />
particularly among<br />
the families.”<br />
One of the main expectations<br />
of an Associate begins at home.<br />
Looking to the model of the<br />
Holy Family, members seek to<br />
imitate their example and values<br />
in their own family life, their social<br />
dealings, and their professional<br />
lives. Associates seek to extend<br />
the virtues taught to us by the love<br />
inherent in Nazareth and share<br />
them through all facets of life. They<br />
also take on a mission of prayer,<br />
joining the Sisters of the Holy<br />
Family of Nazareth in their daily<br />
prayers for blessings upon all of<br />
the families of the world.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
9
10<br />
Sr. Magdalena Rybak explained,<br />
adding the members of the<br />
Association help spread the love<br />
and joy of Nazareth even beyond<br />
the Sisters’ reach, among their<br />
friends, neighbors, family members,<br />
and of course, in their own homes.<br />
Though the events of recent years<br />
— namely a global pandemic —<br />
unfortunately interrupted much of<br />
the momentum and activity of the<br />
Association of the Holy Family, Sr.<br />
Magdalena sees a bright future for<br />
the Association of the Holy Family<br />
(AHF) in the United States as they<br />
begin again to meet in person.<br />
“There is a genuine gratitude and<br />
pride among our Associates to<br />
welcome our new members and to<br />
get to know them,” Sr. Magdalena<br />
explained.<br />
“It’s all about community and<br />
trying to carry on the charism,”<br />
said Michael D’Onofrio, an<br />
Associate in Long Island, NY,<br />
for more than 15 years. Michael<br />
recently attended the World<br />
Meeting of Families in Rome<br />
as a U.S. Delegate for the AHF<br />
and credited the Sisters and his<br />
involvement in the Association<br />
with helping him explore his<br />
faith. “They helped me to grow<br />
spiritually… [and] I just want to<br />
carry on their mission.”<br />
Today, there are more than 700<br />
Associates of the Holy Family<br />
worldwide with many more in the<br />
discernment process. The talents<br />
and gifts they bring with their love<br />
of Nazareth are immeasurable.<br />
NOTE: If you are interested in<br />
becoming an Associate of the Holy<br />
Family or learning more, please<br />
contact Sr. Magdalena Rybak at<br />
mrybak@nazarethcsfn.org
Pure joy palpalable as Sr. Eunice<br />
Leszczynska and Wanda Weslowska<br />
meet personally after COVID<br />
restrictions in Philadelphia<br />
lessened.<br />
Sr. RoseMarie Machalski with<br />
Chicagoland area AHF members<br />
Mary Bolda and Alice Ryan.<br />
Sr. Magdalena Rybak (center) with<br />
some of our New England area<br />
Sisters and associates.<br />
Sisters and members of the<br />
Philadelphia area AHF stop for a<br />
photo during a recent meeting.<br />
Sr. Magdalena Rybak and Michael<br />
D’Onofrio during the <strong>2022</strong> World<br />
Meeting of Families in Rome, Italy.<br />
Texas Associates Mary Jean<br />
Moloney, Rose Ann Riggall, and<br />
Sue Baars.<br />
Sr. Virginia Rozich and Philadelphia<br />
AHF member Lisa Schofield.<br />
Sr. Maria Therese Nguyen and<br />
Associate Theresa Nguyen.<br />
Texas Associates Ileana and<br />
Carlos Espinosa.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
11
MINISTRY<br />
We learned handiwork to keep<br />
us out of trouble! And so, I began<br />
learning how to read patterns for<br />
mittens, hats, socks, and baby and<br />
adult blankets.<br />
“[From that point] I made mittens<br />
for myself, my sisters, family, and<br />
friends. … During the war, when<br />
I was in high school, I made socks<br />
for the servicemen and women. ...<br />
The school collected and gave (the<br />
socks) to the proper places.”<br />
Recognizing a call to religious life<br />
at an early age, Sr. Anthony recalls<br />
it was the example of her aunt,<br />
a Nazareth Sister, who made a<br />
deep impression on her. Living and<br />
working in Philadelphia, “She came<br />
to visit us every five years and was<br />
always so happy and cheerful. … [I<br />
knew] I wanted to be a sister since<br />
I was in the fourth grade. Finally,<br />
when I graduated from high school,<br />
I entered the year my aunt was in<br />
the community [celebrating]<br />
25 years.”<br />
Knitting Her<br />
Way Through<br />
Nazareth<br />
For nearly 70 years, the hands and<br />
hearts of the students from Peru<br />
to New York have been warmed by<br />
the love, generosity, and incredible<br />
talents of Sr. Anthony Gracyalny.<br />
Born on a farm near Garrattsville,<br />
NY, Sr. Anthony is the second<br />
eldest of eight. “God bless them;<br />
my parents were very smart<br />
people,” she reflected. “My dad<br />
taught me how to milk a cow<br />
when I was in the first grade and<br />
I continued milking cows until I<br />
entered the convent at 18. But it<br />
was my mom who taught me how<br />
to knit when I was about 6 or 7<br />
years old.<br />
In 1954, Sr. Anthony began her<br />
ministry of warming not only the<br />
hearts and minds of her students,<br />
but also their hands. “When I<br />
started teaching, I made mittens<br />
for my students each year,” said<br />
Sr. Anthony. “Over the years, I<br />
made mittens and would give<br />
them away as a gift to each class<br />
or when I saw someone in need.<br />
Additionally, when one of my<br />
students was expecting a baby<br />
brother or sister, I gave them a<br />
blanket [for their new sibling],<br />
and for Mother’s Day, I made<br />
towels for the student to give to<br />
their mothers.”<br />
Since entering Nazareth in 1951, Sr.<br />
Anthony has shared her incredible<br />
needlework gift with many. With an<br />
estimated total of more than 5,000<br />
mittens created, Sr. Anthony smiles<br />
when she says,<br />
12
“I have students<br />
wearing the mittens<br />
from kindergarten<br />
through eighth<br />
grade. Some come<br />
back and ask for<br />
another pair. I have<br />
others who have<br />
grown out of them<br />
and are saving them<br />
for their children.<br />
It really makes me<br />
proud to know that<br />
people appreciate<br />
my work and gift.”<br />
Still an avid knitter and<br />
crocheter, Sr. Anthony continues<br />
blessing others with her<br />
incredible gift wherever she<br />
is. “[All my life] I have been<br />
happy doing whatever they<br />
[the Sisters] have asked me to<br />
do. I took care of postulants<br />
and novices in Monroe, CT. In<br />
addition to teaching all grades,<br />
I lived and served in Peru for<br />
11 years and was a principal in<br />
Utica, NY. I have had a great,<br />
interesting, and wonderful life.<br />
God is so great.”<br />
Sr. Anthony Gracyalny<br />
demonstrating to students from<br />
St. Adalbert’s the skill of knitting.<br />
Sr. Anthony with some of her<br />
former students from Peru.<br />
Creativity, color, and charity at a<br />
glance through the knitting of<br />
Sr. Anthony.<br />
Sr. Anthony celebrating her 30th<br />
anniversary of Religious Life.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
13
PRAYER<br />
Artwork created by Sr. Antonina Gadacz, CSFN<br />
14
Holy Family Chaplet<br />
The Holy Family Chaplet is a prayer designed to help you pray for your family and families you care about and<br />
to look to the Holy Family of Nazareth as a model for family life. The chaplet is prayed using a beaded chaplet<br />
chain or a rosary in the following manner:<br />
1. Start by seeking the presence of the Holy Spirit; “Come, Holy Spirit, renew my family in your love.”<br />
2. Say one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and one Glory Be.<br />
3. On each of the 10 beads, say the following prayer after recalling the particular intention you are praying for:<br />
Mary, mother of faithful love; Joseph, gentle and humble man of God;<br />
Jesus, Son of Mary, bless guide, and protect the families you created.<br />
4. Close with the following prayer for families:<br />
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, model for all Christian families, I entrust my family to your<br />
care and protection. Bless each member of my family. Help me and the members<br />
of my family to love, listen to, support, and accept one another. Encourage us to<br />
challenge one another to be compassionate, merciful, and forgiving as we struggle<br />
with the difficulties of our lives.<br />
Guide us to seek goodness and holiness in our everyday choices, actions, and<br />
attitudes. Encourage us when our faith is weak and when we fail to lead one<br />
another to Christ. Make our home a real dwelling place of peace, joy, and love,<br />
where you are ever present among us. May we work to uphold each one’s dignity,<br />
integrity, and unique contributions to the well-being and growth of our family. And<br />
when our time on earth is complete, bring us all safely home to you in the company<br />
of heaven. Amen.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
15
IN MEMORIAM<br />
In Memoriam<br />
16
Sr. M. Teresita<br />
Morales, CSFN<br />
(1934 – <strong>2022</strong>)<br />
Juanita Morales<br />
was born March<br />
12, 1934, in<br />
Río Grande, Puerto Rico, to Eloy<br />
and Dolores Morales, the youngest<br />
daughter among three brothers<br />
and four sisters. In addition to her<br />
immediate family, from the time<br />
she was 11 years old, she lived in<br />
Hato Rey, Puerto Rico, with her first<br />
cousins, Juan and Juana Blaimayar, who<br />
she also considered as a brother and<br />
a sister.<br />
Her move to Hato Rey opened the<br />
door for her to meet the Sisters<br />
of the Holy Family of Nazareth<br />
at Colegio Espíritu Santo. Upon<br />
completing her senior year as<br />
a member of the Colegio’s first<br />
graduating class, she entered the<br />
Congregation in 1953. In 1954,<br />
Juanita received the name Teresita,<br />
and upon making her final vows in<br />
1962, became Sr. Teresita of Jesus.<br />
Sr. Teresita attended Holy Family<br />
College (Holy Family University)<br />
in Philadelphia, PA, majoring in<br />
Spanish, and St. Charles Seminary in<br />
Philadelphia, receiving a Master’s in<br />
Religious Studies. Sr. Teresita spent<br />
one year in New York at St. Cyril and<br />
Methodius, after which she returned<br />
to Colegio Espíritu Santo from 1956-<br />
1984. She taught various classes over<br />
the years, becoming principal of pre-K<br />
through eighth grade for nine years.<br />
In 1988, Sr. Tersita completed the<br />
school year as principal at Academia<br />
del Carmen in Carolina, Puerto<br />
Rico, then taught there until 1999.<br />
In 2012, Sr. Teresita was transferred<br />
to Mount Nazareth in Philadelphia,<br />
and continued preparing children for<br />
the sacrament of the Eucharist at<br />
Nazareth Academy Grade School in<br />
Philadelphia.<br />
In 2015, Sr. Teresita transitioned into<br />
a special mission that emanated from<br />
her kind heart as she sought to serve<br />
Sisters’ needs at Mount Nazareth<br />
in Philadelphia. With simplicity and<br />
love, Sr. Teresita cared for the physical<br />
needs of ailing Sisters and handled<br />
daily tasks in the dining room, even<br />
making Puerto Rican meals and treats<br />
for the Sisters.<br />
In short, Sr. Teresita, simple and<br />
sincere in her actions, lived in union<br />
with Christ, totally dedicated to<br />
serving her Sisters and co-workers<br />
kindly and joyfully while showing<br />
interest in families, former students,<br />
her flowers, and current events. She<br />
indeed had a green thumb. Flowers,<br />
especially orchids, just bloomed at<br />
her fingertips!<br />
Early in the morning on September<br />
14, <strong>2022</strong>, the Feast of the Exaltation<br />
of His Holy Cross, Sr. Teresita went<br />
home to God. May she rest in peace.<br />
Sr. Carol<br />
Ann Szott<br />
(1943 – <strong>2022</strong>)<br />
Carol Ann Szott<br />
was born March<br />
22, 1943, to<br />
Joseph and Frances Szott in Detroit,<br />
MI. She attended Saint Christopher<br />
School in Detroit, but in deciding<br />
she wanted to be a Sister, traveled<br />
to meet the CSFN Sisters at Mount<br />
Nazareth Academy in Pittsburgh, PA.<br />
Carol graduated from the Academy in<br />
1959 and entered the Congregation<br />
of the Sisters of the Holy Family of<br />
Nazareth. She professed her perpetual<br />
vows in August 1967 as Sr. Mark, later<br />
reverting to her baptismal name of<br />
Sr. Carol.<br />
Sr. Carol was always profoundly<br />
grateful for the education she<br />
received throughout the years,<br />
earning both a Bachelor of Science<br />
in Education and an Associate<br />
Degree in Mental Health Technology<br />
and Human Service Advocacy. Her<br />
years of ministry saw her serving in<br />
many different capacities, including<br />
tenures as a teacher, principal, dean of<br />
students, vocations minister, manager<br />
of Holy Family Manor, and most<br />
recently, facilities manager for the<br />
Great Lakes area.<br />
In reflecting throughout her life, Sr.<br />
Carol often said, “I don’t know how<br />
I deserve all these blessings.” Among<br />
the many blessings she cherished were<br />
her love of family and appreciation<br />
for community, nature, and animals. Sr.<br />
Carol was especially fond of her dog,<br />
Lacy, who she trained as a therapy dog.<br />
An enduring blessing to Sr. Carol was<br />
the opening of “The Cottage,” a home<br />
on the grounds of the former Saint<br />
Joseph Provincialate in Pittsburgh for<br />
Sisters to relax, pray, and take time<br />
for silence.<br />
Sr. Carol enjoyed cooking, discovering<br />
different recipes, spending time<br />
outdoors for prayer, taking meditation<br />
walks, hiking, golfing, following<br />
sports, and listening to music. It was<br />
important to Sister to keep in touch<br />
with family, which she did over the<br />
phone, social media, and occasional<br />
visits to family events. Most important<br />
to her was a weekly call to her<br />
mother, whose love and wisdom she<br />
cherished deeply.<br />
Carol spent her last days keeping her<br />
heart and mind on the love of her<br />
God. Sr. Carol was called home to the<br />
Lord on June 18, <strong>2022</strong>. May she rest<br />
in peace.<br />
Donations in memory of a<br />
deceased Sister may be mailed<br />
to Development Office, Sisters<br />
of the Holy Family of Nazareth,<br />
310 N. River Road, Des Plaines, IL<br />
60016. Please include a note with<br />
the name of the Sister in whose<br />
memory you are giving. Donations<br />
may also be made online at<br />
nazarethcsfn.org/donate.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
17
DEVELOPMENT<br />
Stay-at-Home Social:<br />
Sweet Memories<br />
Though we had planned to return to an in-person<br />
format for our annual social this year, growing concerns<br />
over a resurgence of COVID-19 led us to make the<br />
decision to continue on in a virtual format. On Friday,<br />
October 21, we were able to join together with our<br />
dear Nazareth family via a 55-minute video program<br />
presented via Facebook. Our Provincial Superior, Sr.<br />
Kathleen Maciej, CSFN, greeted our viewers, followed<br />
by a lovely prayer adapted especially for this event by<br />
our Provincial Secretary, Sr. Mary Ellen Gemmell, CSFN.<br />
Our National Development Director, Kathi Barth, shared some remarks following a photo slideshow of sweet moments<br />
from our Sisters past and present. The program then continued with a look at our Sisters serving in Ukraine and Poland<br />
with special thanks to our many faithful friends who have supported our Ukrainian Relief Fund. As a special treat for this<br />
year’s social, we were pleased to include a presentation from Vicki Quade of Nuns 4 Fun Entertainment, playing the role<br />
of “Sister” as she spoke on happy memories from the past that so many of us share. Several of our Sisters were kind<br />
enough to share video messages with their own special memories from over the years, and Sr. Mary Paul Haase, CSFN,<br />
wrote a beautiful poem highlighting some of her happiest moments. The presentation concluded with kind notes from<br />
our friends, and recognition of our generous social sponsors.<br />
Thank you again to all of our generous donors, sponsors, volunteers, and Sisters! We are looking forward to seeing all of<br />
you at our next opportunity for an in-person event. If you missed the live stream video presentation or want to share it<br />
with your friends and family, visit the Videos section on our Facebook page or our YouTube channel. If you would like to<br />
donate, please go to our website and click “Donate” (in the comment section, note your donation is for the Social), send<br />
a gift in the mail, or call our National Development Office at 847-298-6760.<br />
OUR GENEROUS SOCIAL<br />
SPONSORS<br />
INTECH Construction, LLC<br />
United Color Manufacturing, Inc./Tom<br />
and Carmella Nowakowski<br />
Holy Family University<br />
Nuns 4 Fun Entertainment<br />
WSFS Community Foundation<br />
Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Delaney<br />
Brad and Katherine Barth<br />
18
Giving Gifts of Stocks Makes<br />
“Cents”...for You and CSFN<br />
Looking to give toward a cause you believe in and make your<br />
charitable dollars do the most good? Consider making a gift of<br />
publicly held stock or mutual fund shares (that you have had for at<br />
least one year) to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. These<br />
gifts not only help you claim the full market value of the shares you<br />
choose to donate, but also allow you to avoid taxes on capital gains,<br />
which we see as a double benefit for you, the donor.<br />
Consider the following example: John and Sue Smith own 100 shares<br />
of XYZ Corporation stock they purchased three years ago for $1,000.<br />
The fair market value of those 100 shares is now $2,000. If the Smiths<br />
donate the 100 shares of XYZ Corp. stock to the Sisters of the Holy<br />
Family of Nazareth, they can claim the entire $2,000 as a charitable<br />
deduction on their <strong>2022</strong> taxes, and they do not have to pay capital<br />
gains taxes on the $1,000 profit.<br />
To take advantage of this double benefit, it is necessary to donate the<br />
shares of stock. If you sell the shares yourself and then donate the<br />
cash proceeds, you will be liable for capital gains taxes. Please note, if<br />
you are unable to take the full deduction in one year, you can carry it<br />
forward for up to five years.<br />
While gifts of cash are always greatly appreciated, a gift of stocks or mutual fund shares can benefit you and the Sisters.<br />
We ask you to keep this in mind if you are considering a gift to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.<br />
As always, we are deeply grateful for your support of our sisters and their ministries.<br />
TO MAKE A DONATION TO<br />
SUPPORT OUR SISTERS<br />
Mail: Send donations to the Development Office,<br />
310 N. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016.<br />
Website: www.nazarethcsfn.org — click the “Donate”<br />
to use a credit card or checking account.<br />
Facebook: www.facebook.com/csfn.usa — click “Donate”<br />
Call: 847-298-6760, ext. 237, our Development Office<br />
Text-2-Give: Text the word REGISTER to (847) 994-4483.<br />
You will then be asked to provide contact and credit card information.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //WINTER <strong>2022</strong><br />
19
310 N River Rd<br />
Des Plaines, IL 60016<br />
www.nazarethcsfn.org<br />
Non-profit<br />
Organization<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
Paid<br />
Des Plaines, IL<br />
Permit No. 340<br />
SPRING FEST 2023<br />
We invite you to renew friendships and acquaintances and make<br />
new ones at our 2023 “Spring Fest” sponsored by the Spring Fest<br />
(formerly Oktoberfest) Committee and the Sisters of the Holy Family<br />
of Nazareth, to be held on Sunday, March 26, 2023, at the Meridian<br />
Banquet and Conference Center in Rolling Meadows, IL.<br />
Enjoy a unique and exciting afternoon with an opportunity to try your<br />
luck at our Choose Your Prize Raffle, Silent Auction, and Split the Pot<br />
Raffle. CSFN Creations will provide lovely, handcrafted items for sale.<br />
A delicious luncheon will be served with a cash bar available.<br />
All proceeds from this event assist the Sisters of the Holy Family of<br />
Nazareth in their Family Outreach and will enable them to continue<br />
their mission through their daily ministries of service to, with, and<br />
for families.<br />
We look forward to seeing you soon!<br />
We, the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, are called to extend the Kingdom of God’s love among ourselves and<br />
others by living the spirit of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph whose lives were centered in the love of God and one another.<br />
We witness to this love through dedicated service to the Church, especially in ministry to the family.