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SISTERS OF<br />
THE HOLY<br />
FAMILY OF<br />
NAZARETH<br />
HOLY FAMILY<br />
PROVI<strong>NC</strong>E<br />
// VOL 17 //<br />
// NO 1 //<br />
SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
Nazareth<br />
CONNECTIONS<br />
FAMILY IS THE HEART OF OUR MISSION<br />
The Blessed Martyrs<br />
of Nowogródek<br />
STORY ON PAGE 5
MESSAGE FROM THE<br />
PROVI<strong>NC</strong>IAL SUPERIOR<br />
Dear Friends of Nazareth,<br />
There is a prayer attributed to St.Teresa of Avila that says:<br />
Christ has no body but yours,<br />
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,<br />
Yours are the eyes with which He looks<br />
Compassion on this world,<br />
Yours are the feet with which He walks to do good,<br />
Yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world.<br />
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,<br />
Yours are the eyes, you are His body.<br />
Christ has no body now but yours,<br />
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,<br />
Yours are the eyes with which He looks<br />
Compassion on this world.<br />
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.<br />
the people with whom we interact. No matter your<br />
vocation or location, God has uniquely called and<br />
placed each of us to be His Body in this broken world.<br />
As we rejoice in the Resurrection of Jesus during this<br />
Easter season, let us ask God to fill us with His Spirit so<br />
we may give testimony in being His hands, feet, and eyes<br />
of compassion.<br />
May God bless you and your loved ones.<br />
In the Holy Family,<br />
Sr. Kathleen Maciej<br />
These words are a daily reminder of the witness we are<br />
called to be in the world as followers of Jesus Christ. Do<br />
the actions of our lives, words, and thoughts reflect to<br />
others (and to ourselves) that we are representatives, living,<br />
breathing extensions of Christ’s body here on earth?<br />
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Martyrdom<br />
of our Sisters from Nowogródek, murdered by the Nazi<br />
regime. As I think about the Sisters, I marvel at their witness,<br />
each a unique example of Christ and each unified in the<br />
ultimate witness of humbly and heroically offering their lives<br />
as a sacrifice for those they loved.<br />
Most of us will never be called to mirror Jesus in this<br />
way, but every day we are given opportunities to be the<br />
living, breathing testimony of Jesus Christ in this world to<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<br />
love with us as we strive to recognize God in ordinary experiences.<br />
Learn more about our community life, our ministries, and our mission<br />
at nazarethcsfn.org/about-us. Contact Sr. Emmanuela Le, CSFN, National<br />
Vocation Director, at 682-203-967 or vocations@nazarethcsfn.org.<br />
2
Contents<br />
VOCATION<br />
JUBILARIANS<br />
VOLUME 17 //<br />
NUMBER 1 //<br />
SPRING <strong>2023</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 />
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 />
4 Sr. Mary Clare Nguyen<br />
Makes First Vows<br />
MISSION<br />
5 The Blessed Martyrs of<br />
Nowogródek<br />
MINISTRY<br />
10 My Escapades in Nazareth<br />
12 Sr. Beata Czyl<br />
Sr. Barbara Frances Samp<br />
Sr. Noemi Tereszkiewicz<br />
Sr. Janice Marie Blados<br />
Sr. Kathleen Maciej<br />
Sr. Mary Annette Gailey<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
16 Sr. M. Elaine Skrzypczynski<br />
Sr. Jeanette Lawlor<br />
DEVELOPMENT<br />
18 <strong>Spring</strong>Fest<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 // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
3
VOCATION<br />
Sr. Mary Clare Nguyen<br />
and Vocations Director Sr.<br />
Emmanuela Le stop for a<br />
photo after Sr. M. Clare’s First<br />
Profession of Vows.<br />
Sr. Kathleen Maciej,<br />
Provincial Superior, greets Sr.<br />
Mary Clare Nguyen prior to<br />
her First Profession of Vows.<br />
Sr. Mary Clare Nguyen<br />
Makes First Vows<br />
On Saturday, Feb. 25, Sr. Mary Clare Nguyen made her First Profession of<br />
Vows at the Provincialate in Des Plaines, IL. She celebrated the day with<br />
family, friends, and Sisters of her community both in person and on Zoom.<br />
Sr. Mary Clare is originally from Vietnam, where some of her immediate<br />
family still lives. She had been discerning her vocation since 2017. Inspired<br />
by our Nazareth family and the life of our Mother Foundress, she felt at<br />
home among our Sisters.<br />
Please join us in prayers of thanksgiving for Sr. Mary Clare’s “yes” to God,<br />
as well as continued prayers for those currently discerning their vocation<br />
with the help of their mentors.<br />
Editor’s Note: It is with sadness that we share Sr. M. Clare Nguyen passed<br />
into Eternal Life on Saturday, April 8. An In Memoriam of Sister Clare will be<br />
featured in the next edition of Nazareth Connections. Rest peacefully in the<br />
Kingdom of God, Sr. Clare.<br />
4
MISSION<br />
80 Years Later,<br />
THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF NOWOGRÓDEK<br />
Editor’s Note: This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the<br />
Martyrdom of Blessed M. Stella and her Ten Companions,<br />
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Blessed Martyrs<br />
of Nowogródek, who sacrificed their lives on Aug. 1, 1943,<br />
in Nowogródek, Poland. The Sisters were declared Blessed<br />
by virtue of martyrdom on March 5, 2000, by Pope St. John<br />
Paul II. Sept. 4 marks the Feast Day for the Blessed Martyrs<br />
of Nowogródek, a significant date as it reflects the day when<br />
the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth first came to<br />
Nowogródek in 1929. Each issue of Nazareth Connections<br />
this year will contain a story or reflection on these heroic<br />
witnesses.<br />
In this issue, we share with you text from a presentation<br />
entitled “Vindication & Glory” by the late Sr. Rita Kathryn<br />
Sperka, CSFN (1934-2014), given at Holy Family University’s<br />
two-day conference, “70 Years Later: The Global Impact of<br />
the Holocaust,” in 2009.<br />
We invite you to read along and have a “mini-view” into the<br />
story of the Blessed Martyrs of Nowogródek:<br />
On Sept. 4, 1929, when the Sisters of the Holy Family<br />
of Nazareth first came to Nowogródek, it was home to<br />
various communities, including Catholic Poles, Russian<br />
Orthodox Christians, Tartars, and Jews.<br />
Though a portion of the townsfolk did not welcome<br />
the Sisters, members of the Jewish community helped<br />
the Sisters move into their residence. That beginning<br />
period of strained relations with the townsfolk initially<br />
led the Sisters to consider withdrawal from the<br />
mission; however, as the Sisters became known in the<br />
community, cordial relationships gradually replaced<br />
the tension.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
5
The Sisters’ temporary home was the original home<br />
of Adam Mickiewicz, considered Poland’s greatest<br />
poet. Once in their own facilities, the Sisters began to<br />
establish a residence for young women from the rural<br />
areas who sought higher education and a primary<br />
school (initially grades one to three, then gradually the<br />
upper levels). They also conducted craft classes for<br />
young women, allowing [people from] every subculture<br />
to intermingle.<br />
By the outbreak of World War II, all the original Sisters<br />
had been replaced by other Sisters who continued to<br />
unite the people through their services.<br />
Bishop Lozinski, who had invited the Congregation,<br />
entrusted the ancient church (fondly referred to as<br />
“Fara” by the people) to the care of the Sisters of the<br />
Holy Family of Nazareth. Historical events, including<br />
the marriage of the nobility and the baptism of Adam<br />
Mickiewicz, were significant for the parishioners.<br />
Because this church, known as the Church of the<br />
Transfiguration, was in need of extensive repairs,<br />
the Sisters spearheaded that task. To this day, the Sisters<br />
maintain the church. Even after the [execution] of the Sisters<br />
and the flight of the priest, the one surviving religious, Sr.<br />
Malgorzata [Banas], continued to pray with the parishioners.<br />
Over time, bit-by-bit information has allowed us to piece<br />
together an overview of the events. Before the Nazi<br />
penetration of eastern Poland, the Russian forces had<br />
occupied the land. When the German troops arrived, their<br />
overwhelming power was felt immediately. Priests and<br />
partisan fighters were dealt with ruthlessly by the Gestapo.<br />
When Traub, the German commander of the local forces,<br />
was away, the Gestapo arrested 120 townsfolk, mainly<br />
fathers of families, with the intent of executing them. Like<br />
Moses, who always resorted to prayer when faced with<br />
momentous decisions, Sr. Stella and the Sisters sought<br />
guidance in prayer on learning of this situation. Meeting<br />
with Fr. Zienkiewicz, Sr. Stella informed him that the Sisters<br />
resolved that if a sacrifice of life was necessary, they<br />
were willing to offer themselves to God in place of those<br />
condemned to death.<br />
6
Several of the Sisters walking in<br />
the Corpus Christi procession in<br />
Nowogródek.<br />
Stained glass from Nazareth<br />
Academy Grade School in<br />
Philadelphia depicting the<br />
Nowogródek Martyrs at work.<br />
Upon the return of Commander Traub, who had no<br />
prior knowledge of the Gestapo’s orders, he contacted<br />
his superior officers. He commuted the sentence of the<br />
previously arrested townsfolk, where some were sent<br />
to work in forced labor camps and a few returned to<br />
their families.<br />
Shortly after that time, the Sisters learned Fr. Alexander<br />
Zienkiewicz’s name was on the Gestapo’s new list. Believing<br />
the ministry of the priest was vital to the community, Sr.<br />
Stella informed the priest, “You, Father, are more important<br />
than we, so we are now asking God that if further sacrifice<br />
is needed, to take us rather than you.” Fr. Alexander and the<br />
[original] 120 [condemned] all survived the war. It is they,<br />
together with their families, who want the world to know<br />
the Sisters’ story.<br />
On July 31, 1943, a German dressed as a civilian<br />
approached Sr. Stella and ordered her to report to German<br />
headquarters with her Sisters at 7:30 p.m.<br />
As usual, the Sisters prayed with the people that evening<br />
and then proceeded to their assigned destination. On the<br />
way, they met Sr. Malgorzata, who wanted to go with them.<br />
Since Sr. Malgorzata was dressed in lay clothes for her work<br />
as a nurse in the local hospital, Sr. Stella instructed her to<br />
go home and look after the priest and the church until<br />
at least some of the Sisters returned. She believed the<br />
Nazis did not have an exact count of the Sisters.<br />
That encounter was the last time Sr. Malgorzata met<br />
the Sisters alive. Based on sources Sr. Malgorzata and Fr.<br />
Alexander happened upon over time, they pieced the<br />
facts together.<br />
Srs. Stella Mardosewicz, Imelda Zak, Kanizja Mackiewicz,<br />
Rajmunda Kukolowicz, Daniela Jozwik, Kanuta Chrobot,<br />
Sergia Rapiej, Gwidona Cierpka, Felicyta Borowik,<br />
Heliodora Matuszewska, and Boromea Narmontowicz<br />
were interrogated by the Gestapo. Growing up in<br />
a former Prussian sector of the divided Poland, Srs.<br />
Gwidona and Heliodora were educated in schools<br />
conducted in the German language. Consequently,<br />
they were the spokespersons for the Sisters. Those<br />
who overheard the interrogation commented on<br />
the contrast between the bellowing harshness of the<br />
Gestapo and the gentle, subdued responses of the<br />
Sisters. After 9 p.m., they were escorted to a waiting<br />
vehicle and driven beyond Nowogródek’s limits into<br />
the rural area. However, there was so much activity on<br />
the farms because it was still light out that they were<br />
obliged to return to the administration building.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS //SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
7
The Sisters spent the next few hours huddled together in a<br />
small basement room on a dirt floor, where they prayerfully<br />
spent their last hours. Following their 4 a.m. departure on<br />
Aug. 1, the custodian entered the room where he found a<br />
crucifix that one of the Sisters had brought. He took that<br />
crucifix to his home and only returned it to the Sisters in<br />
the 1990s when he came to testify before the commission<br />
hearings prior to the beatification of the Sisters in 2000.<br />
Though his name had not been on the list of expected<br />
witnesses, his testimony and this prized possession were<br />
most welcomed. He had heard the Sisters praying together<br />
as they supported one another.<br />
In a wooded area surrounded by several small villages that<br />
used the meadow and woods as a shortcut, the Gestapo<br />
seized a young partisan to dig the Sisters’ grave. As they<br />
knelt in prayer, most of the Sisters were shot in the head<br />
so their faces were disfigured. Later that day, when one of<br />
the officers came to the home of a woman who had to<br />
prepare his meal, he was very drunk. Visibly overwhelmed<br />
by the carnage, the anxiety-ridden officer cried, “How they<br />
went. You had to see how they walked.” When the woman<br />
asked, “Who?” the officer responded, “You don’t know!<br />
Your Sisters!” After he affirmed their death, he warned the<br />
woman to keep quiet.<br />
Eventually, Sr. Malgorzata organized a “mushroom-picking<br />
expedition” with two women into the woods to investigate<br />
a new mound that someone had noticed in the woods. One<br />
of the women even carried her young daughter to help<br />
make their escapade more realistic. I met that child in 2000<br />
at the beatification of our Sisters in Rome. She had brought<br />
her grandson to Rome so he would have a living memory<br />
of the Sisters’ love of neighbor to pass on to his children<br />
and grandchildren.<br />
In March 1945, after the Nazi troops were forced to retreat,<br />
the Sisters’ remains were exhumed. On March 19, each<br />
Sister was placed in a separate coffin, then drawn by<br />
sled to be buried in individual graves near the Fara<br />
(the White Church).<br />
Sr. Stella with a local priest and some of<br />
her students.<br />
Sr. Kanizja with two of her First<br />
Communion students.<br />
Memorial to the Martyrs of Nowogródek<br />
at the site of their execution.<br />
8
Prayer through the intercession<br />
of Nowogródek Martyrs<br />
O most blessed Trinity, we praise and thank you<br />
for the example of Blessed Mary Stella and Her<br />
Ten Companions, Sisters of the Holy Family of<br />
Nazareth, who by imitating Jesus Christ, offered<br />
themselves as a sacrifice of love.<br />
God of mercy and compassion, through<br />
the merits of their martyrdom and by their<br />
intercession, grant us the grace we humbly<br />
ask…(insert intention here)…<br />
so that like them, we may witness with our lives<br />
to the presence of the Kingdom of God’s love<br />
and extend it to the human family throughout<br />
the world. We ask this through Christ, our Lord.<br />
Amen.<br />
Blessed Martyred Sisters of Nowogródek, pray<br />
for us.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
9
My Escapades in<br />
Nazareth 1898-1901<br />
BY SR. SIMPLICIA OF THE CROSS<br />
Editor’s Note: Sr. Mary Simplicia of the Cross (Marian Ławecka<br />
– died July 18, 1963) was one of the very few who had the<br />
good fortune of meeting our Foundress, Blessed Mary of Jesus<br />
the Good Shepherd (Frances Siedliska). During a visit with<br />
her eldest sister, Sr. Pancratius, who was then a postulant at<br />
the Precious Blood Convent in Pittsburgh, little Marian first<br />
encountered Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd who<br />
spoke with her. Marian soon followed her sister to Nazareth<br />
taking on the name Sr. M. Simplicia of the Cross. Several years<br />
later, their two younger sisters, Sr. Laura and Sr. Marinelle,<br />
joined the community, making them the first “Nazareth<br />
Quartet” in the history of the Congregation.<br />
The following excerpt comes from Sr. Simplicia’s “My Escapades<br />
in Nazareth,” a compilation of stories written from the time<br />
she was a boarder attending Holy Family Academy in Chicago.<br />
She writes, “So it was during the time of Mother Lauretta’s time<br />
in the Academy in Chicago that I had all kinds of adventures,<br />
more than any other of the girls. … I was of a very lively<br />
disposition and God endowed me with a brilliant memory, that<br />
made me useful at times, but also at times prone to mischief<br />
as one can see from the following ‘Escapades.’ … Enjoy reading<br />
and have a good hearty laugh, which is so beneficial to health.”<br />
10
One day, I was told by the Sister in charge of us to run<br />
quickly to the bakery and get a loaf of “razowy chleb”<br />
(pumpernickel bread). Naturally, I was told in Polish<br />
because only this language was used at that time.<br />
I knew what kind of bread it was but had no idea how<br />
to say it in English. So I went to Sister Superior, who<br />
had her education in London, and asked her what to<br />
call the black bread because I needed to buy a loaf for<br />
some guests who would have dinner at the Academy.<br />
The Superior, Sister Seraphine, told me the name is<br />
“pumpernickel bread” and made me repeat it a few<br />
times to say it correctly.<br />
As usual, I ran down Milwaukee Avenue, where all<br />
the large stores, banks, etc., were located. In front of<br />
a big store stood a crowd of people watching some<br />
spectacle. I tried to see what was happening, but to my<br />
dismay, I could not get through to see what was going<br />
on, so I continued on my way.<br />
Relieved, I said: “Exactly! That’s what the Superior<br />
called it. Please may I have a loaf of it?” He brought<br />
the loaf wrapped up and, giving it to me, said, “Wait a<br />
moment, little girl.” After a few minutes, he returned<br />
with a small bag of cookies, a rare treat we seldom<br />
saw, and then said, “The pumpernickel bread is for<br />
Sister Superior, and these cookies are for you, for the<br />
good laugh I had!”<br />
With a sweet smile, I thanked him, and taking the<br />
packages, ran home as fast as my legs could carry me.<br />
I made it back just in time! After I deposited the<br />
precious pumpernickel bread in the kitchen, I ran<br />
upstairs to tell the other girls about my mishap and to<br />
treat them to the goodies I got from the kind baker.<br />
The girls were overjoyed, and we laughed as we<br />
devoured these delicious goodies.<br />
As I set back on my journey to my great consternation,<br />
I realized I had forgotten the name of the “black<br />
bread.” I began running from one bakery to another,<br />
frantically looking through the windows to see<br />
whether I would recognize any “black bread” and not<br />
one loaf! As usual, I began to pray to my Guardian<br />
Angel to help me.<br />
“As usual, I began to<br />
pray to my Guardian<br />
Angel to help me.”<br />
I ran about a good five blocks searching in windows<br />
when I finally noticed a loaf of “black bread” in the<br />
shop window. Peeking in, I saw only one customer, so I<br />
patiently waited until she came out and then went in.<br />
The baker was an elderly big man with a kind face.<br />
He asked me, “What do you want, little girl?” I said, “I<br />
was to buy a loaf of black bread, but I forgot the name<br />
of it. It was like pumping something, but I don’t know<br />
what you pump… Maybe a dime or a penny?” And he<br />
laughed out loud, saying, “You don’t pump anything. It’s<br />
‘pumpernickel’ bread you want.”<br />
Holy Family Academy, Chicago, IL.<br />
Sr. Mary Simplicia of the Cross, (d. 1963).<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
11
JUBILARIANS<br />
Jubilarians<br />
Sr. M. Beata Czyl | Ruby Jubilee — 80 Years<br />
It was in the eighth grade when Sr. M. Beata Czyl prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mary in<br />
the month of May as a special way of asking guidance to know her future vocation.<br />
“Many times, I stayed longer, helping the Sisters after school,” recalls Sr. Beata. Leaving<br />
her family home at age 14, Sr. Beata began her high school years at Villa Nazareth High<br />
School in Des Plaines, IL, a boarding school where most of the young women were<br />
aspirants or postulants to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.<br />
After high school and her first profession, Sr. Beata began teaching elementary school<br />
students all the while attending evening and Saturday classes to get a bachelor’s degree<br />
in education from Loyola University in Chicago.<br />
In addition to her ministry as an educator in Illinois, Texas, Indiana, and North Dakota, Sr. Beata also served her<br />
community as a local superior, vice-provincial treasurer, and helped develop the local Association of the Holy Family. She<br />
currently is retired and devotes her time to a ministry of prayer.<br />
Described by her Sisters as hard-working, dedicated, joyful in Jesus, and devoted to Our Blessed Mother, Sr. Beata has<br />
also enjoyed her hobbies of flower gardening — especially roses — and learning about the Holy Land and Lourdes.<br />
As she reflects on her 80 years of service, Sr. Beata proudly recalls, “My most memorable convent experience and<br />
greatest joys in life were asking Mother Celeste to send at least two Sisters from Poland to Texas. These Sisters started<br />
arriving in 1986 [and continued to do so throughout the following years].”<br />
12
Sr. Barbara Frances Samp | Diamond Jubilee — 75 Years<br />
Celebrating her 75th year in religious life, Sr. Barbara Frances Samp grew up in Chicago<br />
and attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic parish.<br />
She was attracted to the Sisters at an early age, but soon forgot about it. “My mother<br />
passed away when I was in sixth grade. I never gave thought of going to the convent even<br />
though I helped the Sisters in church and admired them, but never thought much of being<br />
one,” said Sr. Barbara Frances.<br />
Then, a letter between her father and the local superior soon changed the course<br />
for Sister. “[One day my father received a letter from] Sr. Jolanta who told him I had a<br />
vocation. She included what I would need when I entered the convent and that I should<br />
go to the convent on Aug. 10, 1946. This was two months after I graduated from eighth<br />
grade. My father read the letter, handed it to my sister, and said to her, 'Get her what she needs.' We went shopping and<br />
on Aug. 10, I presented myself at the convent in Chicago, and here I am 78 years later.”<br />
Holding a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in secondary education, in addition to certifications<br />
in NTSCU Library LMS and Advanced Bible Studies from Catholic University, Sr. Barbara Frances has accounted for 57<br />
years in education and an additional 16 years devoted to Bible studies ministry. Her community would describe her as<br />
a passionate teacher who is gracious and quite organized. After serving 65 years in Texas, Sr. Frances now resides in<br />
Philadelphia and values the “family spirit of caring for each other” as what is most important about the CSFN charism.<br />
“[Though I am no longer as active as I used to be] I live out our charism [these days] through leading a Bible study for<br />
the Sisters at Mount Nazareth and praying for all families and their needs.”<br />
Sr. Noemi Tereszkiewicz | Diamond Jubilee — 75 years<br />
When asked what she would like people to know about religious life, Sr. Noemi<br />
Tereszkiewicz joyfully reflects, “It has been a blessing cup full of graces received<br />
throughout my [years of] formation and ministries.”<br />
Born in Ford City, PA, Sr. Noemi and her family moved to McKees Rocks, PA, and finally<br />
to Lawrenceville, PA where her family established Frank’s Bakery. “My parents and siblings<br />
had hearts of gold, full of love and sacrifice and generous toward me and all those whose<br />
lives they touched.”<br />
Following her high school graduation in 1945, Sr. Noemi went to work in a law firm in<br />
Pittsburgh and entered the Community in 1948. Much of Sr. Noemi’s ministry had been<br />
devoted to nursing. She ministered for 25 years at Mercy Hospital School of Nursing in<br />
Altoona, PA, and for 10 years at Ohio Valley General Hospital School of Nursing. Sr. Noemi was a staff nurse, supervisor,<br />
and director of the School of Nursing.<br />
In addition to her nursing ministry, Sr. Noemi also taught CCD to first-graders, hosted the Calix Society once a month<br />
for recovering alcoholics and their wives, and served as a Eucharistic minister and lector to her religious community and<br />
also at the prison in Pittsburgh.<br />
“I have experienced the beauty and saintliness of God’s people in many varied ways. My heart is filled with love and deep<br />
gratitude as I recall the reciprocal sharing of talents and skills, faith, and spirituality with religious and lay persons.”<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
13
Sr. Janice Marie Blados | Golden Jubilee — 50 Years<br />
Sr. Janice Marie’s 50 years as a religious reflect the many blessings she received<br />
from God.<br />
“I really see the face of God in each person I encounter. I have been blessed to be in<br />
sacred, holy spaces with others and I have tried to create a space where they can feel<br />
comfortable and welcome.”<br />
Sr. Janice Marie entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth from St. Stanislaus<br />
Parish in Cleveland in 1973. With both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Duquesne<br />
University and a certification from the University of Pittsburgh in marriage and family<br />
therapy, Sr. Janice Marie has served in several ministry positions, including hospital<br />
chaplain, formation director, family therapist, and grief counselor. She currently serves<br />
as the superior at Holy Family Manor and is a volunteer Trauma Response Team member with the Neighborhood<br />
Resilience Project.<br />
“Both my parents died when I was younger,” she shared. “Because of my life experiences of loss, I have been drawn to<br />
those sacred spaces of being with the dying and those who grieve.”<br />
Sr. Janice Marie enjoys gardening and supports all teams that wear “Black ‘n Gold.” Spending time with family and friends<br />
is a special joy in her life and she especially enjoys comparing her height with that of her great nieces and nephews who<br />
are so much taller than she.<br />
“I believe my life has taught me that we only have today — no matter who you are. Every day is a blessing. I’ve been<br />
blessed with a loving family and community and friends.”<br />
Sr. Kathleen Maciej | Golden Jubilee — 50 Years<br />
The call to religious life was something that had been building within Sr. Kathleen Maciej,<br />
CSFN’s life since birth. Growing up in a home with parents who lived and taught the faith<br />
not only by their words, but by their example gave Sr. Kathleen a firm foundation. From<br />
there, she enrolled at the nearby Catholic School, St. Stanislaus in Brooklyn, NY, where<br />
she was taught by CSFN Sisters. “I recall whenever I was in the presence of the Sisters,<br />
there was a stirring in my heart, a desire to be with them.”<br />
All this came to actualization when in eighth grade, Sr. Kathleen was asked to write<br />
a paragraph about what she wanted to be in life and she wrote about being a Sister.<br />
Currently serving as Provincial Superior, Sr. Kathleen has previously served on the<br />
Provincial Council in Immaculate Heart of Mary Province, at Elmhurst, NY, Saint Jude<br />
School in Monroe, CT, and Our Lady of the Hamptons School in Southampton, NY.<br />
“What I enjoy most about my religious life is being with my Sisters. I welcome the opportunities when I can listen to<br />
the Sisters share their experiences of life in formation, ministry, experiences in community, and above all, their laughter<br />
in relating some humorous events,” said Sr. Kathleen. “I am in awe when I reflect on the faith, courage, wisdom, and<br />
sacrifices of our Sisters, past and present, who have forged the way so our Sisters today and those yet to come have a<br />
Nazareth to call home. Today, in the culture of our society, the rewarding aspect of my religious life is knowing that I can<br />
be a presence to individuals and families who are searching for God and faith, compassion and mercy, justice, and peace.”<br />
14
Sr. Mary Annette Gailey, CSFN | Silver Jubilee — 25 Years<br />
It was when she was 6 years old that Sr. Mary Annette Gailey, CSFN first realized she<br />
wanted to be a religious Sister. “I had a wonderful first-grade teacher, Sr. Rose Imelda<br />
Paterson, SSJ. She was kind, loving, and treated us with respect. I wanted to be just like<br />
her when I grew up.”<br />
But it wasn’t until years later when an invitation was posted in the parish bulletin about<br />
a discernment weekend that the tug to find out more wouldn’t go away. Trading in her<br />
18-wheeler for a new journey that is now 25 years long, Sr. Mary Annette felt drawn to<br />
the CSFNs as the community draws its inspiration from the life of the Holy Family, a<br />
devotion she’s held since her youth.<br />
Sr. Mary Annette finds “living with integrity and engaging all Creation and everyone<br />
[she meets] as family” is integral to her living out her CSFN charism. “I have a C.S. Lewis quote in my prayer book as<br />
a reminder: ‘Next to the Blessed Sacrament, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.’ This is the<br />
Incarnation, hidden and revered: Every heart is a Tabernacle, for every person is a child of God. And just as Christ was<br />
hidden in Nazareth in an ordinary life, my relationship with God is expressed in ordinary service, giving witness to love,<br />
care, and hope.”<br />
In her free time, Sr. Mary Annette enjoys a number of hobbies including gardening, feeding the birds, tinkering (fixing<br />
things), and learning to tend to native mason bees. Currently, she serves as a clinical systems solution architect and sees<br />
every encounter as an “invitation to be attentive to God’s presence.”<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
15
IN MEMORIAM<br />
In Memoriam<br />
Sister M.<br />
Elaine<br />
Skrzypczynski<br />
Elaine was<br />
born April<br />
19, 1940, and<br />
baptized at<br />
Holy Innocents<br />
Church in<br />
Chicago.<br />
As she was growing up, Sr. Elaine<br />
remembered wanting a brother or<br />
sister. Before long, her brother, Bobby,<br />
was born, followed by her sister,<br />
Patricia Marie. Elaine loved being a<br />
big sister.<br />
She attended grade school at Holy<br />
Innocents and then went to Holy<br />
Family Academy, where she met the<br />
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.<br />
She was delighted when assigned to<br />
Sr. Rita Mary Sebastian’s homeroom.<br />
Inspired by two close friends who<br />
decided to enter the convent and<br />
some words of motivation from<br />
Sr. Rita Mary, Elaine accepted the<br />
invitation to religious life. She joined<br />
her friends in receiving the postulant<br />
veil on May 1, 1957, and entered the<br />
novitiate in 1958, receiving the name<br />
Odilia. Sr. Elaine made her perpetual<br />
profession on Aug. 10, 1966, and some<br />
years later, returned to her baptismal<br />
name, Elaine.<br />
Sr. Elaine’s ministry for most of her<br />
life was education. She especially<br />
enjoyed teaching junior high school<br />
students and effectively did this at<br />
Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Hedwig,<br />
St. Margaret Mary, and St. Blase. She<br />
worked towards her master’s degree<br />
in education to prepare for service<br />
in education administration and from<br />
there, began an assignment as principal<br />
of St. Casimir School in South Bend,<br />
IN, followed by an assignment at St.<br />
Ladislaus School in Chicago, then<br />
returning to St. Margaret Mary<br />
School in Neenah, WI, where under<br />
her leadership as principal, she won<br />
the Excellence in Education Award<br />
from the Department of Education in<br />
Washington, D.C. Her last ministry in<br />
the field of education was as principal<br />
of St. Gilbert School in Grayslake, IL.<br />
Following her years in education,<br />
Sr. Elaine began classes in clinical<br />
pastoral education in preparation for<br />
spiritual services and chaplaincy. Sr.<br />
Elaine served in this new ministry at<br />
St. Andrew’s Retirement Home and<br />
eventually at Resurrection Life Center.<br />
In June 2014, Sr. Elaine transitioned<br />
into Ascension Living Nazarethville<br />
Place, where she spent her last nine<br />
years telling stories and providing<br />
a listening ear to others. Her smile<br />
attracted everyone.<br />
Very quietly in the late evening of<br />
March 13, <strong>2023</strong>, Sr. Elaine was called<br />
home to the Lord.<br />
16
Sister<br />
Jeanette<br />
Lawlor<br />
Sr. Jeannette<br />
Lawlor was<br />
born Aug.<br />
19, 1933, in<br />
the Tacony<br />
section of<br />
Philadelphia. She was baptized in<br />
St. Leo’s Church. Her family later<br />
moved and she began high school<br />
at Nazareth Academy, then entered<br />
the Sisters of the Holy Family of<br />
Nazareth on Dec. 8, 1950.<br />
She was accepted into the novitiate<br />
in 1951, made her first profession in<br />
1953, and final profession in 1959. Sr.<br />
Jeanette graduated from Holy Family<br />
College with a Bachelor of Arts<br />
in mathematics and from Villanova<br />
University with a Master of Arts in<br />
elementary education.<br />
Sr. Jeanette had an extensive career<br />
in education, sharing her gifts with<br />
Nazareth Academy Grade School,<br />
St. John Cantius, St. Stanislaus, St.<br />
Katherine of Siena, and Our Lady<br />
of Calvary. She sprinted to Queen<br />
of Peace in Ardsley, PA, Visitation<br />
in Trooper, PA, St. Gregory in<br />
Plantation, FL, and Colegio Espiritu<br />
Santo in Puerto Rico. Teaching God’s<br />
children was a passion of hers<br />
because in them she found the spirit<br />
of Nazareth.<br />
She served as Provincial Superior<br />
to the Sisters in the Immaculate<br />
Conception Province from 1989-<br />
1995 and in 2001, served as a<br />
delegate to the General Chapter<br />
that was held in Rome, Italy. She<br />
also served as Superior of Mount<br />
Nazareth and Infant Jesus Convent at<br />
Nazareth Hospital where she worked<br />
in mission effectiveness.<br />
She later took up ministry at Holy<br />
Family University in the Registrar and<br />
Finance offices, and in recent years,<br />
offered her services at Nazareth<br />
Academy High School and Mount<br />
Nazareth as receptionist, delivering<br />
mail and messages, checking the<br />
attendance of students, greeting<br />
visitors, and visiting the Sisters on<br />
the second floor of the Mount.<br />
Sr. Jeanette enjoyed reading a good<br />
book, kicking up her heels at a<br />
celebration, and was fully engaged<br />
with those around her always asking<br />
about family members, former<br />
students, fellow classmates, friends,<br />
workers, and families with whom she<br />
had associated. A woman of prayer,<br />
Sr. Jeanette could often be found in<br />
chapel imploring Our Lord and his<br />
Blessed Mother to take care of the<br />
many for whom she had promised<br />
prayer. She never hesitated to reach<br />
out to one in need and demonstrated<br />
a deep understanding of humanity and<br />
was a wise leader.<br />
On Jan. 9, <strong>2023</strong>, Sr. Jeanette was called<br />
home to the Lord.<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 />
USA, Inc., 310 N. River Road, Des<br />
Plaines, IL 60016. Please include<br />
a note with the name of the Sister<br />
in whose memory you are giving.<br />
Donations may also be made online<br />
at nazarethcsfn.org/donate.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
17
DEVELOPMENT<br />
<strong>Spring</strong>Fest<br />
Thank you to Sr. Clare Marie Kozicki and her committee for all the hard work they did in organizing this year’s<br />
<strong>Spring</strong>Fest fundraiser. Some 200 Sisters and friends gathered for delicious food, raffles, and a silent auction.<br />
For our Sisters, being able to gather face-to-face with our friends and benefactors was the best part of the<br />
afternoon. They are grateful so many would take time out of their busy schedules to attend our <strong>Spring</strong>Fest.<br />
Many thanks to our sponsors, without whom this event our not have been so successful: Gunther A. Dorth, Mitchell<br />
and Frances Wiet, Elaine Beatovic, Magna Properties 2, LLC, Fijal and Associates, Ltd., Maryville Academy, Maria Bradley<br />
and Martin Pfister, Bredemann Toyota in Park Ridge, Cruz-Sojka Funeral Home, Gregory and Shelley Reichle, and<br />
Joanne B. Johnson.<br />
Srs. Kathleen Ann Stadler, Maria Magdalena<br />
Rybak, Michael Marie Franzak, and Cindy<br />
Michelini enjoying <strong>Spring</strong>Fest and each<br />
other’s company.<br />
Srs. Rebecca Sullivan, Patricia Ann Koschalke,<br />
and Mary Kevin Hanek share a moment<br />
during the <strong>Spring</strong>Fest.<br />
Guests enjoying <strong>Spring</strong>Fest.<br />
18
We Invite You to<br />
Participate in Our Prayer<br />
Remembrance Program<br />
When a relative, friend, or loved one passes away,<br />
celebrates a birthday or anniversary, or is experiencing<br />
ill health, you can express your sentiments, honor them<br />
in a meaningful way, and offer a gift to the Sisters of the<br />
Holy Family of Nazareth – USA, Inc. Those you choose to<br />
honor will share in the spiritual works and prayer of the<br />
Sisters and be remembered during the daily liturgy and a<br />
special Mass each month. Their name will also be placed<br />
in the Prayer Remembrance book located in the chapel<br />
at our Provincialate House. Contributions to the Prayer<br />
Remembrance program are used to help care for our<br />
elderly and infirmed Sisters as well as those who continue<br />
to minister for and with families.<br />
If you wish to participate in the Prayer Remembrance<br />
program, order from our website (nazarethcsfn.org/<br />
donate/request-spiritual-greeting-cards), call us at<br />
847-298-6760 ext. 143, email us at csfn_development@<br />
nazarethcsfn.org, or write us at Development Office,<br />
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth – USA, Inc.,<br />
310 N. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016-1211. We will<br />
send you as many greeting cards as you would like so<br />
you can send them to your relatives or friends, as well<br />
as a convenient reply envelope for your contribution.<br />
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SPRING <strong>2023</strong><br />
19
310 N River Rd<br />
Des 310 Plaines, N River IL Rd. 60016<br />
www.nazarethcsfn.org<br />
Des Plaines, IL 60016<br />
www.nazarethcsfn.org<br />
Non-profit<br />
Organization<br />
U.S. Postage<br />
Paid<br />
Des Rockford, Plaines, IL IL<br />
Permit No. 2495 340<br />
SPIRITUAL HAVE YOU ALREADY GREETING REMEMBERED CARDS ORDER FORM<br />
THE CSFNS IN YOUR WILL?<br />
If you would like to order spiritual greeting cards, please complete the order form below. You are welcome to order<br />
as many of each type as you would like. Our office will mail your cards.<br />
Then you’re invited to join Nazareth Legacy Society, a group created<br />
to recognize friends just like you who have let us know that they have<br />
Please send me Prayer Remembrance cards in the amounts I have indicated:<br />
remembered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in their Wills or<br />
____ Estate General Plans. Card<br />
____ Birthday Card — Scenic ____ Anniversary Card<br />
____ In appreciation Birthday for Card your — future Floralgift, you ____ will be Get remembered Well Card in the daily ____ Thank You Card<br />
prayers of our Sisters. You will also receive a certificate denoting your<br />
____ Thinking of You Card ____ Memorial Card<br />
membership in the Nazareth Legacy Society and receive a special Holy<br />
Family key ring available only to Nazareth Legacy Society members. Your<br />
Please return your completed card order form to:<br />
name also will be inscribed on a special plaque in our Provincialate in Des Plaines, IL. Informing our Development Office<br />
Development that you have remembered Office, 310 N. our River Sisters Road, in your Des future Plaines, plans IL automatically 60016. entitles you to membership in this special<br />
Society! But we won’t enroll you as a member without your permission.<br />
Name_____________________________________________________________________<br />
It’s simple to join! Just complete the form on page 19 and return it to CSFN Development Office, 310 N. River Road,<br />
Address___________________________________________________________________<br />
Des Plaines, IL 60016. Or if you prefer, you may contact Katherine Barth at kbarth@nazarethcsfn.org or 847-298-6760,<br />
ext. 143 and let her know that you would like to be a member.<br />
City_________________________________________State________ Zip Code__________<br />
Thank you for including our Sisters in your Estate Plans. We are grateful for your faithful, caring support.<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.