NC-2023-Winter

Nazareth
CONNECTIONS
FAMILY IS THE HEART OF OUR MISSION
SISTERS OF
THE HOLY
FAMILY OF
NAZARETH
HOLY FAMILY
PROVINCE
// VOL 17 //
// NO 3 //
WINTER 2023
Hope for
Every Journey
STORY ON PAGE 8

MESSAGE FROM THE
PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR
Dear Friends of Nazareth,
It was not long ago when we transitioned from summer
to autumn, a time when the leaves change from green to
a magnificent display of vibrant colors, the temperature
becomes cooler, animals prepare for the long winter months,
and daylight begins to decrease.
Change, whether it occurs in seasons or within our lives, is
inevitable. We know change can be challenging and daunting
at times, but it’s also an opportunity for personal growth,
new beginnings, and new life experiences. As Sisters of the
Holy Family of Nazareth, one aspect that remains constant
within our lives is family: the heart of our mission. Over the
years, the sisters have dedicated their time and energy to
various ministries to help and serve families throughout the
United States. Even through unprecedented surges of change,
the sisters remained steadfast and committed to responding
to the call of the Church and the needs of families through
education, healthcare, and social services.
that our Nazareth charism and mission to families is
witnessed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth,
who have volunteered and continue to volunteer in
this ministry.
Ministry initiatives that were rooted in our charism
138 years ago have changed, opportunities for new
ministries were embraced, but constant and never
changing is the center of our mission — family.
As we go through the change of seasons, let us offer
our prayer of thanksgiving to God for the many and
varied expressions of the Nazareth mission in ministry,
the blessings that have shaped our today, and the
fashioned works of the Church for tomorrow. May God
continue to guide us and remind us we can find peace
even in the midst of changes.
In the Holy Family,
Sister Kathleen Maciej
In this issue of Nazareth Connections, you will have the
opportunity to read about Holy Family Institute and
the Saint Joseph Welcome Center, both located in
Pennsylvania. Holy Family Institute’s Journey of Hope
program provides shelter, counseling, recreation, and
education to unaccompanied minors arriving in the
United States, as well as the Long-Term Foster Care
program launched in January 2022 to provide a safe, stable
environment for those in need. Located in Pittsburgh, PA,
Holy Family Institute is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
St. Joseph Welcome Center, Philadelphia, which is sponsored
by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, provides
education, support services, and programs that empower
immigrants to become self-sufficient. It is within this ministry
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 strive to recognize God in ordinary experiences.
Learn more about our community life, our ministries, and our mission at
nazarethcsfn.org/about-us. Contact Sister Emmanuela Le, CSFN, National
Vocation Director, at 682-203-967 or vocations@nazarethcsfn.org.
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VOLUME 17 //
NUMBER 3 //
WINTER 2023
Nazareth Connections is published
three times a year by the Sisters of
the Holy Family of Nazareth
in the USA.
Editor:
Emily Dillon
Contents
VOCATION
4 Gathering in the
Windy City
NOVICES
5 Celebrating Our Novices
ARTICLES
8 Hope for Every Journey
10 Serving Affirmations
13 Blessed Mary of Jesus
14 Pray the Holy Family
Novena
IN MEMORIAM
16 Sr. Mary Bernard
Sr. Doloretta Dawid
Sr. Maria Teresa
DEVELOPMENT
18 Stay at Home Social
19 Giving Gifts of Stocks
General Conference participants and
Sisters from the provincialate pause for
a picture outside Holy Name Cathedral,
Chicago, 2023.
Sister Incarna and Sister Pia Marie with
Sister Linda Joseph, Sister Yvette and
Father Farrell, the celebrant of the First
Friday Mass at Nazareth Academy Grade
School in Philadelphia.
Sister Incarna and Sister Pia Marie at
Visitation Parish in Norristown, PA.
Proofreaders:
Sr. Angela Szczawinska
Sr. Mary Ellen Gemmell
Katherine Barth
Sr. Lucille Madura
Amanda Giarratano
Province Communications Committee:
Sr. Mary Ellen Gemmell
Sr. Angela Szczawinska
Amanda Giarratano
Katherine Barth
Heidi Scheuer
Sr. Emmanuela Le
Sr. Marcella Louise Wallowicz
Sr. Michele Fisher
Sr. Rebecca Sullivan
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
communications@nazarethcsfn.org
nazarethcsfn.org
facebook.com/csfn.usa
twitter.com/csfn_usa
instagram.com/csfn.usa
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
3

VOCATION
Gathering in the
Windy City
On Tuesday, September 5, we welcomed the sisters from all
of our provinces to our General Conference, a representative
gathering of the General Administration, Provincial Superiors,
and sisters invited by the superior general to discuss ways in
which the Congregation can be more faithful to its charism in
meeting the contemporary needs of the Church and the world,
as well as ways to promote growth and address specific matters.
After their arrival and settling in on their first day, our General
Administration and Provincial Superiors were offered a tour of
our Heritage Room and Chapel before attending a meet-andgreet
dinner later where lots of history, stories, and food were
shared by all.
Over the next couple of days, our visitors and Provincial
Council were invited on various tours, including the Novitiate
by our novices, Our Lady of the Guadalupe Shrine, St. Adalbert’s
Church and Cemetery, as well as Saint Josaphat Church, Holy
Family Medical Center, Our Lady Guadalupe Church, and some
sightseeing in downtown Chicago. During one evening, the sisters
gathered in the Chapel for Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
and later for Vespers.
Excitement mounted as Sisters
from many countries arrived at the
provincialate for the General Conference,
September, 2023.
Sister Marie Kielanowicz describes
the Heritage Room to the General
Conference participants in September,
2023 (Des Plaines, IL).
Featured in the picture from left to right are Sister Wieslawa Hyzinska from Warsaw; Sister Anita Jach, translator; Sister Speranza Grzebielec, Councilor General; Sister
Lucyna Fraczek, Treasurer General; Sister Marie Kielanowicz; Sister Julitta Tłustowska from Krakow; Sister Malgorzata Kozub from Australia; Sister Justyna Czerwinska,
translator; Sister Filotea Tichonowicz from Belarus; Sister Angela Marie Mazzeo, Superior General; Sister Greta Marie Gallo from the Philippines; Sister Alina Furczyk,
General Assistant; Sister Beata Wilk from Ukraine; Sister Marie Fe Mata, Councilor General; Sister Kathleen Maciej, Provincial Superior; Sister Dorota Maria Podwalska
from Rome; and Sister Amabilis Sikora, Secretary General.
4

NOVICES
Celebrating Our Novices on
the Feast of Christ the King
BLESSINGS FOR THE JOURNEY
This year, our novices’ feast day was celebrated on the
Feast of Christ the King, November 26. In 1925, Pope
Pius XI instituted this feast as a reminder that Christ
reigns as King forever. Christ’s kingship is rooted in the
Church’s teaching on the Incarnation — Jesus is fully
God and fully man. Because of this, we are all encouraged
to celebrate and live out our faith in public through this
solemnity. Our novices are doing just that!
Nazareth Academy High School students along with
Sister Boguslawa Cofala, Theology teacher at Nazareth,
pause for a picture with novices Sister Mary Incarna (L)
and Sister Pia Marie Shelton (R) outside of the chapel at
Nazareth Academy High School, Philadelphia, during the
Apostolic Experience of the novices in October 2023.
Auxiliary Bishop Most Reverend William Waltersheid with
our novices, Sisters Pia Marie and Incarna this year in
Pittsburgh, PA.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
5

For five weeks, Sisters Pia Marie Shelton and Mary Incarna
Garcia explored the CSFN ministries in two areas of the
Province, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. They began their
apostolic experience with the Consecrated Life Mass
celebrated by Bishop David Zubik with the Jubilarians of the
Diocese of Pittsburgh, and later got to know the sisters in
Holy Family Manor with a fun activity, prayers, and supper.
After a blessing from Bishop Waltersheid and time spent at
Holy Family Institute, the novices took off for Philadelphia.
On Friday, October 6, the novices were welcomed by
Nazareth Academy Grade School. They toured the school,
taught the second-grade students a song about being a
Saint, and assisted Sister Nahida Al Sawa in setting up the
Scholastic Book Fair. After time well spent, the novices visited Nazareth Academy High School on October 18-19, where
they shared their vocation stories and convent experience. They continued to venture through the campus, visit more
classrooms, and sit with the students at lunch after praying a rosary offered for the families in the school community.
On the weekend of October 21, Sisters Pia Marie and Incarna spent time with the sisters at Mary of Nazareth
Convent. They were able to meet with Sisters Carol Mockus and Clare Marie Butt to learn about their experiences in
development and transitional services respectively, as well as enjoy a dinner with two associates of the Holy Family they
had originally met as affiliates at the House of Discernment in Richardson, TX. The novices spent the rest of the weekend
preparing for the Fall Fest at Mount Nazareth, a special afternoon of games, crafts, homemade snacks, and sisterly
camaraderie. The novices also went on a tour with Sister Marcelina Mikulska and Sister Rita Fanning to see some of the
6

many shrines in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
and participated in a Holy Family University faculty
staff dialogue on Listening is a Superpower sponsored
by the university’s Interfaith Committee. More
vocation stories were then shared about life in the
community, ministry, and the beauty of Nazareth
when Sisters Pia Marie and Incarna went back to
Mount Nazareth on October 25-27.
Sisters in Pittsburgh and in Philadelphia expressed
how much of a joy it was to have Sisters Pia Marie
and Incarna join in prayer, work, fellowship, and fun
throughout their journey, and a greater blessing to
have witnessed their apostolic experience within
their vocational discernment. As they continue
their apostolic experience through January with
a few more encounters in different areas of our
province, may we pray over them and celebrate the
novices’ feast day on the Feast of Christ the King, a
declaration of Christ’s reign and kingship. Featured in
the next spring issue will be their own reflections of
their apostolic experience.
Our novices teaching a song about being a Saint to the
second grade at Nazareth Academy Grade School.
Sisters from Mary of Nazareth Convent and Mount
Nazareth in Philadelphia stop for a photo during the
Fall Fest, 2023.
Most Reverend David Zubik and Sisters from
Pittsburgh, PA, pause for a photo after the celebration
of the jubilarians of the Pittsburgh Diocese in October
2023.
Our novices pictured at the Grounds for Sculpture in
nearby Trenton, NJ.
Our novices participating in a Holy Family University
faculty staff dialogue on Listening is a Superpower
sponsored by the university’s Interfaith Committee.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
7

ARTICLES
Hope for Every
Journey
WHEN WILL HUMANITY PUT AN
END TO THE RAGING CONFLICTS OF
WAR AND THE ABUSES THAT RESULT
FROM IT?
Eleven Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth were
victims of the Nazi regime. The sisters were rounded up,
shot, and buried in a mass grave. They gave their lives so
others could live. One could only hope humanity would
put an end to such horrendous crimes. Unfortunately,
war, corrupt governments, violence, and extreme poverty
continue around the world. Far too often children are
the victims, forced to make the perilous journey to a
far-off land seeking asylum, safety, and a decent life. Eighty
years after the death of the sisters in Nowogródek,
the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth continue
to minister to children who make the journey from
Central America to the United States on their own,
unaccompanied by any protective adult.
Since 2014, the Holy Family Institute (HFI) Journey
of Hope program has provided shelter, counseling,
recreation, and education to unaccompanied minors
arriving in the United States with the goal of reuniting
each child with their parents or relatives. This year,
building on the shelter program’s eight years of success,
we began a new initiative to serve even more children at
a vulnerable point in their young lives.
The program’s true beginning was in 2010 when
12 children arrived at Holy Family Institute in January
just one week after their home country of Haiti was
devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. When
they arrived in the United States, the children were
brought to HFI, where they were cared for by
staff and volunteers and provided with a safe and
stable environment.
Four years later, after an unprecedented surge in the
number of children arriving at our southern border
without parents or legal guardians, we reorganized
the program to provide supportive services to these
unaccompanied minors. Journey of Hope continues
to offer shelter, food, clothing, counseling, recreation,
and education to these children, many of whom
have endured a long, perilous journey in search of a
brighter future. While the plight of these children is
heartbreaking, the Journey of Hope staff strives to help
them feel safe, loved, and hopeful during their time
in our care.
Sister Linda Yankoski enjoys a moment with three
children at HFI's Journey of Hope program.
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The Long-Term Foster Care (LTFC) program, launched in January 2022, provides a safe, stable environment for young
people who require a longer stay than those served by our shelter program. This program provides care for up to 12
teenage boys in a home-like environment, including comfortable housing, group meals, and dedicated case managers,
clinicians, youth care workers, and interpreters.
Sayed*, age 15, came to us from Afghanistan, where his family still lives. “I’m very happy to be here. I can’t express how
happy I am. I am comfortable and safe here,” says Sayed. “I am only concerned about my family. I hope someday they can
come to America too.”
In a warm, family-like environment, the children are given a chance to work through any emotional or behavioral
difficulties and are also provided with opportunities to explore their interests and grow as young men. As often as
possible, the staff seek additional enrichment opportunities for the kids, from summer camps specifically for ESL (English
as a second language) students to group ceramics classes at local arts centers.
Sayed, who plays striker on the Avonworth junior varsity soccer team, dreams of one day playing soccer for an
international team. “My dream is to play for an international soccer team, to raise the Afghan flag so that Afghans can see
me and have pride in Afghanistan and in America.”
Sayed and the other young men living in the home consistently show their resiliency and strength of character, enriching
the lives of everyone they meet. Each child makes their mark on the program and leaves a reminder in the form of a
painted handprint, many of which adorn the living room walls of the house. This program, along with the shelter program
and post-release services gives Holy Family Institute and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth the opportunity to
bring help, healing, and hope to a new generation of children.
*Not his real name.
“I’m very happy to be
here. I can’t express
how happy I am. I am
comfortable and safe
here,” says Sayed. “I am
only concerned about
my family. I hope
someday they can come
to America too.”
A group moment captured from HFI's Journey of
Hope program.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
9

ARTICLES
Serving Affirmation
From her earliest days in ministry, Sister Teresa
Mary Lukaszewski, or as she is commonly known
“Sister Teri,” has had a special place in her heart for
the poor and the marginalized. When Sister was
first assigned to Nazareth Academy High School, a
CSFN-sponsored ministry in Philadelphia, she was
asked to take on the responsibility of moderator of
the Community Service Corp or CSC in addition
to teaching math. Among its numerous activities,
the group did outreach to the poor and homeless
of Philadelphia through St. Francis Inn, a Franciscan
ministry in the Kensington neighborhood. Each
month, Sister Teri and the girls would make the
half-hour trip by school van to the Inn where
they would assist in serving meals to the “guests”:
homeless men and women seeking a hot meal, senior
citizens struggling to make ends meet until their next
Social Security check, and families dealing with food
insecurity. More than just serving food, this ministry
provided an opportunity to affirm the value of each
person despite their economic circumstances and to
remind them they were beloved children of God.
A chance encounter with Sister Connie Trainor, SSJ
during a retreat six years ago introduced Sister Teri
to the Sisters of St. Joseph Welcome Center, located
near the corner of Kensington and East Allegheny
avenues. This ministry, sponsored by the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, is focused on educating
and serving Philadelphia’s immigrant community.
The immigrants assisted by the Center are from a
wide variety of countries: the Dominican Republic,
Guatemala, Costa Rica, Egypt, Chile, Venezuela,
Vietnam, Poland, Morocco, Nicaragua, Albania, Haiti,
Columbia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Palestine, and
Guinea. The Center offers English, computer literacy,
and citizenship classes for both documented and
Nazareth Academy High School in Philadelphia,
PA, where the Community Service Corp reaches
beyond the classroom and into neighborhoods where
those in need receive help. For Nazareth students,
service is a year-round experience, and Sister Teresa
Mary Lukaszewski is one of many Sisters who has
moderated the CSC.
10

undocumented immigrants. Although not trained as an ESL
instructor, Sister Teri commented that the skills needed in
teaching high school students were readily transferrable to
educating the Center’s clients. Sister also has experience in
ministering to persons for whom English is a second language
at Nazareth Academy through her responsibility in addressing
the needs of the international students.
Sister Teri noted a command of English is essential for
immigrants to find a better job. The Center has a computer
lab to assist clients in gaining computer and job training skills,
which also are crucial to employment and job advancement.
The computer lab was funded through a grant from our
Nazareth Family Foundation. Prior to the COVID-19
pandemic, Sister Camille Kwiatek, CSFN served as a volunteer
at the Center, teaching ESL classes. The Nazareth presence is
evident and vibrant in this ministry and will continue to be so.
After serving eight years as director of the Welcome Center,
Sister Kathleen McShane, SSJ recently stepped down from
her position. Ms. Olivia Sharkey, a graduate of Nazareth
Academy High School, assumed leadership as the new
Executive Director.
The Center is an oasis of trust and the demand for the
services provided by the Center is great. Forty literacy
classes and 20 citizenship classes are being offered this fall.
These include both in-person and online classes. Despite a
full day at Nazareth Academy High School teaching math in
the Academic Enrichment Program among other duties, Sister
Teri brings equal energy and enthusiasm to this ministry. Sister
commented that in working with the immigrant population,
she “receives more than she gives.” Initially Sister Teri taught
only on Tuesday evenings but presently teaches on Tuesday and
Thursday evenings via Zoom. The online option benefits those
clients who are fearful of traveling by night to the povertystricken
area where the Welcome Center is located or who
are hampered by employment or family obligations.
Adjacent to the Welcome Center is Mother of Mercy House
(MOMH), another ministry to the marginalized population
in the Kensington neighborhood. Initially founded by two
archdiocesan priests and an Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister,
the mission of MOMH is to “share the mercy of God with
our neighbors through prayer and sacraments, counseling
and support, food and clothing assistance, family programs,
and most of all, by being a simple, safe, secure, and steadfast
Christian presence in our community.”
Sister Teresa Mary with Tasha Williams, the
former Development Director of the Welcome
Center.
Sister Teresa Mary with Sister Kathy McShane,
SSJ, former Director of the Welcome Center.
Sister Teresa Mary at the Welcome Center.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
11

ARTICLES
Our Nazareth Congregation has played a supportive role
in this ministry, particularly in addressing food insecurities.
Each month, our retired sisters at Mount Nazareth in
Philadelphia prepare 50 bag lunches for distribution by
the MOMH staff. Included with each lunch is a note of
encouragement written in English and in Spanish, given the
large Hispanic client population in the area. The sisters at
Delaney Hall (Holy Family University) regularly provide nonperishable
food items for the MOMH food pantry. For the
past four years, the university’s Family Center has provided
$100 Walmart gift cards monthly to seven immigrant families
to supplement their needs.
Sister Teresa Mary during a class at the
Welcome Center.
Teachers of ELL and Citizenship classes
volunteering at the Welcome Center; Sister Camile
CSFN is on the far left in the first row.
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Blessed Mary of Jesus
the Good Shepherd
FRANCES SIEDLISKA, 1842-1902
We celebrate our Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd’s birthday on
November 12 and her feast day on November 21. Our Mother Foundress of the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Frances Siedliska, started the Congregation
in 1875 in Rome, Italy. Though born into a family of privilege and wealth in mid-
19th-century Poland, Frances hungered for a deep spiritual life that expressed
itself in the radical commitment of vowed religious life.
As she traveled through Europe seeking cures for her physical ailments, she
eventually recognized and accepted God’s invitation to found a new congregation
and traveled to Rome in 1873 to seek the blessing of Pope Pius IX. Frances
established her first community in Rome to emphasize her commitment to the universal Church. Strong was her desire
to bring the love of Christ to any and all; she transcended ethnic boundaries, welcoming women of many nationalities
into the Congregation and serving God’s People in many different countries.
Our charism, as expressed by our Foundress, is born of a deep contemplation of the Trinity and its human manifestation,
the Holy Family of Nazareth. Like Mary and Joseph, faithfully living their daily lives in the presence of the Word made
Flesh, our Foundress understood that simple ordinary life, lived in love, can be a profound encounter with God.
Rooted in Christ in cooperation with the Church, our Congregation strives in the diversity of its ministries to build
communities of love and hope. We recognize the family as the place where values are nurtured and persons are formed.
In the spirit of Frances Siedliska, we work throughout the world to embrace the needs of the human family as our own.
Frances took the religious name of Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd. She was beatified on April 23, 1989 in Rome. At
this time, just fewer than 1,100 sisters in 14 countries live with her animating spirit as their inspiration and motivation.
PRAYER THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF
BLESSED MARY OF JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD
O most blessed Trinity, we praise and thank you
for the example your servant, Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd,
has given us by imitating the life and virtues of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Grant us the grace we ask through her intercession for your greater glory,
for the sanctification of souls and for the extension of your kingdom on earth.
Amen.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
13

ARTICLES
Pray the Holy Family
Novena with Us
This year, the Feast of the Holy Family will be celebrated on Sunday, December 31. Since 1989, our friends, benefactors,
and family have joined us in praying the special Holy Family Novena, written by Sister Cathy Fedewa, CSFN, 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,”
Sister 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 and 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 to use this novena at any time of the year. If you
would like to share this novena with relatives and friends so they may pray it with us, copies in English, Polish, or Spanish
can be downloaded from our website at nazarethcsfn.org/prayer/holy-family-novena. You may also order copies of the
novena booklet at nazarethcsfn.org/donate/request-holy-family-novena.
We also invite you to visit our YouTube channel (@nazarethcsfn) to watch the Holy Family Novena video series featuring
our sisters reading the novena.
MORNING WITH THE SISTERS
More than 80 friends participated in a 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!
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NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
15

IN MEMORIAM
Sister
M. Mary
Bernard
June 20,
1943 –
September
23, 2023
Ursula
Veronica
Wiecezak, the oldest of three
children born to Stanley and Frances
Wiecezak, came into the world on
Father’s Day, June 20, 1943, and was
baptized on July 11, 1943 at her home
parish of Our Lady of Czestochowa in
Brooklyn, NY.
Ursula's first encounter with the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth
was in kindergarten at Our Lady of
Czestochowa School, South Brooklyn.
Ursula graduated from Our Lady of
Czestochowa School on January 27,
1957, and continued her education
at Bishop McDonnell Memorial High
School the following day. Hers was to
be the last of the accelerated classes
in the Brooklyn Diocese. On June
26, 1960, Ursula graduated having
completed the four-year curriculum in
three-and-a-half years.
Ursula entered the Congregation
of the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth in the Immaculate Heart
of Mary Province on September 8,
1960. Her postulancy was completed
in Torresdale and Meadowbrook, PA.
She was received into the novitiate
in Torresdale on August 10, 1961,
and received the name Sister Mary
Bernard. Sister professed her first
vows in Torresdale on August 12,
1963, and perpetual vows on August
11, 1968, in Monroe, CT. Following
the community custom of adding a
mystery to her religious name, she
chose “the Word Incarnate” focusing
on the divinity and humanity of Jesus.
Sister Mary Bernard continued
her studies at Holy Family College
(presently Holy Family University) in
Torresdale, PA, earning a bachelor’s
degree in history. She went on to
attain a master’s degree in social
science at Marywood University
in Scranton, PA. Her ministerial life
centered on elementary, secondary,
and university education. Sister
taught in schools in Paterson and
Lincoln Park, NJ; Utica, Glen Head,
and Elmhurst, NY; Stratford, Trumbull,
and Fairfield, CT; and Worcester,
MA. She ministered in childcare at
Little Flower Children’s Home in
Wading River, NY, and was principal
at Our Lady of Poland School in
Southampton, NY.
Sister Mary Bernard loved to travel
and was a prolific writer, having
shared her talents reporting on
parish and school activities as a
freelance journalist. She had a love
for life, a love for her Congregation, a
special love for the needy, and a love
for God’s people who she served
tirelessly for countless years. Sister
was admitted to St. Vincent’s Medical
Center on September 22 for what
would be her last earthly adventure.
God called Sister home in the early
morning hours of Saturday,
September 23.
The sisters and family members
of Sister Mary Bernard gathered
September 26, 2023, in the chapel of
Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent
in Monroe, CT, where she was laid to
rest at Holy Family Cemetery.
Sister M.
Doloretta
Dawid
November
14, 1938 –
September
12, 2023
On the
morning
of November 14, 1938, Doloretta
Dorothy Dawid was born to Vincent
Joseph Dawid and Pelagia Mary
(Kwapich) Dawid, lovingly known
as Dave and Pearl, in Brooklyn, NY.
This little infant was the second child,
following a brother, Raymond. As it was
said, the birth was a difficult one for
both mother and child, but the Lord
already had His plan. On December 25,
1938, the day of her baptism, she was
given the name Doloretta Dorothy.
What a glorious day to be born into
the family of God on the same day as
the birth of Jesus!
Sister Doloretta attended Saint Agatha’s
Elementary School in Brooklyn. Upon
her graduation from Saint Agatha’s,
she made a decision at a young age
to follow the Lord. She attended
Nazareth Academy, Philadelphia, as an
aspirant. On December 8, 1954 (the
Marian Year), Sister Doloretta became
a postulant in the Congregation of the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth,
Immaculate Conception Province. She
began her Novitiate on August 16,
1955, and received the name of Sister
M. Clarita. On August 15, 1957, the
feast of the Assumption of Our Lady,
Sister Clarita pronounced her first
vows, and her final vows on August 11,
1963. At the time of her profession of
perpetual vows, she chose the mystery
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
Shortly after, Sister returned to her
Baptismal name Sister Doloretta.
Sister served in the teaching ministry
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in the Congregation. Throughout her
many years instructing pupils, Sister
was fortunate to meet students of
all levels of education: elementary,
secondary, and university. During
these years, one sentence comprised
her philosophy: “Teaching is a work
of Heart.” Sister put her whole heart
into the schools in which she taught
in Pennsylvania: St. John Cantius in
Bridesburg, Sacred Hearts of Jesus
and Mary in Scranton, Nativity BVM
in Pottsville, Nazareth Academy High
School, and Holy Family University
in Philadelphia.
Sister Doloretta always had a
devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows
because of her name and tried often
to say the rosary of the Seven Dolors.
On Saturday evenings, she enjoyed
watching movies about the lives of the
Saints on EWTN, her favorite being
the life of St. Josephine Bakhita. She
loved to read and one of her favorite
hobbies was writing poetry. She
wrote mainly about family, nature, and
spirituality. Some of her poems have
been published in Folio Holy Family
University’s literary magazine.
Sister
M. Maria
Teresa
April 21,
1930 – July
27, 2023
Sister Maria
Teresa
(Stanisława Jasionowicz) came into
this world as the third of four children
of Leon and Helena (nee Wojton) in
Jezupol, once Poland’s Stanisławów
district but now today’s Ukraine.
Her Grandpa Franciszek, who taught
not only the truths of faith but also
demanded faithfulness to prayer, left
an indelible impression on the soul of
Sister Maria Teresa.
In August 1939 during the outbreak
of World War II, Stanisława’s father
was drafted into the army. Stanisława’s
mother stayed in the Soviet Union
for two years before falling ill and left
to seek out various hospitals. After
years of traveling, Stanisława and
her siblings eventually reached the
education camp in Isphahan where
they found their mother again. She
then managed to leave Russia on the
last transport in fall1943, traveling
through Iraq, Egypt, and Syria before
staying in Lebanon for three years.
It was during this time that she was
“looking at many contemplative
orders and meditating on the passing
of time” and heard Jesus’s call:
“Follow me.”
When the war ended, Jezupol no
longer existed, so Stanisława's family
chose to go to England. It was
there at a Polish girls’ school that
Stanisława followed Jesus's voice
into the Congregation of the Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth. The
sisters, who opened a facility and
their own school for refugee youth
and Polish children, invited Stanisława
to the convent in Pitsford. Upon
her visit there, she read the book
Life of Franciszka Siedliska by Sardi
before making the decision to join.
Stanisława took her final secondary
school examination in Polish and
English, and after graduating on
October 24, 1950, she joined the
community of the Sisters of the Holy
Family of Nazareth in Pitsford. At the
investiture ceremony, she was given
the name Maria Teresa.
In Rome, Sister Maria Teresa
professed her perpetual vows in the
presence of Archbishop Józef Gawlina
on July 24, 1959, experiencing the
period of the Second Vatican Council,
the beatification of the Foundress of
the Congregation in 1989 and the
beatification of 11 Nazareth Sisters —
Martyrs of Nowogródek — in 2000.
She took part in the general chapters
of her religious family and worked
on the postconciliar revision of the
Constitution of the Congregation.
From Rome, Sister Maria Teresa went
all over the world, first sent by her
superiors and later guided by her own
intuition and decisions of her own
general council.
Sister Maria Teresa took part in
international symposia and congresses
and was often invited to bring the
world closer to the ordeal of the
war years and the complex problems
of the post-war years. Shortly after
being elected Superior General of the
Congregation on July 27, 1992, she
became a member of the Executive of
the International Union of Superiors
General, the first Nazareth sister in
history to hold this office.
Having known Sister Maria Teresa
Jasionowicz through her visits as
Superior General and General
Counselor, the entire congregation
was invited to unite in prayer via
Zoom for the Mass of Christian Burial
on August 2, 2023. May she rest in
peace where she was laid to rest at
Bagneaux Cemetery in Paris.
Donations in memory of a
deceased sister may be mailed
to Development Office, Sisters
of the Holy Family of Nazareth
- USA, Inc., 310 N. River Road,
Des Plaines, IL 60016. Please
include a note with the name
of the sister in whose memory
you are giving. Donations
may also be made online at:
nazarethcsfn.org/donate
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
17

DEVELOPMENT
Stay-at-Home Social:
Everyday People
This year marked the fourth year in what has become
an annual tradition for our sisters, our stay-at-home
virtual social broadcast online for all of our friends
and benefactors to enjoy! On Wednesday, October 25,
sisters, family, and friends from all over the world joined
together for a 38-minute video program presented
via Facebook.
Our program began with a prayer from Sister Barbara
Jean Wojnicki, who greeted the audience warmly. Next
was the first of many moments of our sisters sharing
little pieces of themselves to help our friends to see
them as the everyday people they truly are, beginning
with a greeting in as many languages as they know!
Throughout the program, these vignettes of our sisters
answering fun questions — such as, “Do you like
pineapple on your pizza?” — gave viewers an insight into
the reality of life among the sisters, who navigate through
their lives like any other.
Also featured in this year’s virtual social were testimonies
shared by three of our sisters, Sister Angela Szczawinska,
Sister Daniela Bronka, and Sister Janice Fulmer. Each
sister shared stories of the paths their vocations have
taken them on, from crossing oceans to begin anew on
a new shore or visiting with our sisters abroad, and in
so many different ministries ranging from education to
spirituality and more. We were so pleased these sisters
so kindly shared their experiences and helped our dear
Nazareth family understand the life of a CSFN sister just
a little bit better.
The presentation also included salutes to the past as
well as the present with our Provincial Archivist, Sister
Rebecca Sullivan, sharing information and stories about
some of the artifacts in the archive collection, reminding
us that even the most innocuous object can hold within
it a vital piece of history.
Thank you once again to all of our generous donors,
sponsors, volunteers, and sisters! We are already planning
something special for next year’s stay-at-home social! If
you missed the livestream video presentation or wish
to share the social with your friends and family, visit the
videos section on our Facebook page or our YouTube
channel. If you would still like to donate to our social,
go to our website and click “Donate” — note that your
donation is for the social in the comment section.
Send a gift in the mail or call our National
Development Office at (847) 298-6760.
MANY, MANY
THANKS TO OUR 2023
SOCIAL SPONSORS!
INTECH Construction
Holy Family University
WSFS Bank
Terence & Patricia Delaney
St. Rose of Lima Parish
Nazareth Academy Grade School
Nazareth Hospital
Rev. Msgr. Albin Grous
Margaret M. Jankowski
Brad and Katherine Barth
18

Giving Gifts of Stocks
Makes “Cents” for
You and Our Sisters
Looking to give towards a cause you believe in and
make your charitable dollars do the most good?
Consider making a gift of publicly held stock or
mutual fund shares (that you have had for at least
one year) to the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth – USA, Inc. These gifts not only help you
claim the full market value of the shares you chose
to donate, but also allow you to avoid taxes on
capital gains, which we see as a double benefit for
you, the donor.
Consider the following example: John and Sue Smith
own 100 shares of XYZ Corporation stock, which
they purchased three years ago for $1,000. The fair
market value of those 100 shares is now $2,000.
If the Smiths donate the 100 shares of XYZ Corp.
stock to the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth,
they can claim the entire $2,000 as a charitable
deduction on their 2022 taxes, and they do not have
to pay capital gains taxes on the $1,000 profit.
To take advantage of this double benefit, it is
necessary to donate the shares of stock. If you
sell the shares yourself and then donate the
cash proceeds, you will be liable for capital gains
taxes. Please note, if you are unable to take the full
deduction in one year, you can carry it forward for
up to five years.
While gifts of cash are always greatly appreciated, a
gift of stocks or mutual fund shares can benefit you
and our sisters. We ask you to keep this in mind if
you are considering a gift to the Sisters of the Holy
Family of Nazareth – USA, Inc. As always, we are
deeply grateful for your support of our sisters and
their ministries.
DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR SISTERS
Mail: Send donations to the Development Office,
310 N. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016.
Website: www.nazarethcsfn.org — click on “Donate” to use a credit card or checking account.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/csfn.usa — click on “Donate”
Call: 847-298-6760, ext. 237, our Development Office
Text-2-Give: Text the word REGISTER to 847-994-4483. You will then be asked to provide contact and
credit card information.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // WINTER 2023
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
SPRING FEST 2024
We invite you to renew friendships and acquaintances and make
new ones at our 2024 Spring Fest sponsored by the Spring Fest
Committee and the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, to
be held on Sunday, March 17, 2024, at the Meridian Banquet and
Conference Center in Rolling Meadows, IL.
Enjoy a unique and exciting afternoon with an opportunity to try
your luck at our choose-your-prize raffle, silent auction, and splitthe-pot
raffle. CSFN Creations will provide lovely, handcrafted
items for sale. A delicious luncheon will be served with a cash
bar available.
All proceeds from this event assist the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in their family outreach and will enable them
to continue their mission through their daily ministries of service to, with, and for families.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
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.