NC-2024-Summer-Fall

Nazareth
SISTERS OF
THE HOLY
FAMILY OF
NAZARETH
HOLY FAMILY
PROVINCE
// VOL 18 //
// NO 2 //
SUMMER 2024
CONNECTIONS
FAMILY IS THE HEART OF OUR MISSION
Eucharistic
Congresses
STORY ON PAGE 12

MESSAGE FROM THE
PROVINCIAL SUPERIOR
“THERE IS A SEASON AND A TIME
FOR EVERY PURPOSE UNDER
HEAVEN.” (ECCLESIASTES 3:11)
Times and seasons of our lives inspire us to look deeply
into our experiences as one provincial administration
completes its term of office and another courageously
begins its ministry. In the musical “Fiddler on the Roof,”
we recall the words from the song, “Sunrise, Sunset”:
“Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years, one season
following another laden with happiness and tears.”
During the past six years, through the publication of
Nazareth Connections, we were able to share with you,
our friends, the many joys and blessings we celebrated
— and yes, some challenges — without forgetting God,
the Creator of all that is good who knows our
every need.
The summer Olympic Games began July 26, 2024, in
Paris, France. We know a few months prior to the
opening of the Olympic Games, a flame was lit at
Olympia, Greece. From there, the flame was carried
for numerous weeks to the host city, mainly on foot by
runners but also using other forms of transportation.
Throughout the torch relay, the flame announced the
Olympic Games and spread a message of peace and
friendship among people.
On August 25, 2024, unlike the Olympic Games, there
won’t be a torch relay leading to the transition of the
provincial administration, but rather a symbolic torch
will be passed along. A torch with a flame that will
burn brightly each day with the charism and mission
of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth; a flame
that will radiate light to guide and direct the provincial
administration in the responsibilities entrusted to them.
Together, we as Holy Family Province stand on the
threshold of transition. Just as in the time of Mother
Foundress, the tides of time carry us through the
mysteries lived by the Holy Family: joy, sorrow, blessings,
and challenges. May we always reverence the passage
of time and turn to God with gratitude for all that has
been, for all that is, and for all that is yet to come.
We transition each day. Some transitions are routine
while others are life-changing and require courage,
risk, and trust in God’s Divine Providence. In closing,
I want to share with you a poem written by Joyce
Rupp entitled “Crossing Over.”
Crossing over into the unknown, crossing over from
a secure land to one whose roads I never walked.
Companion and Guide, you are my transition coach.
You say to me: “Cross over the bridge. Go ahead,
come on over. It’s sturdy enough.
Don’t look down, though, or you might get terrified
and never walk across.
Don’t look back too long or you will lose courage
and want to stay right where you are.
Hang on. Keep going. That’s what bridges are for, to
get you to the other side.Trust me to protect you.”
For all of us, in transition who have bridges to cross,
bless us, God of the journey, gift us with the desire to
go ahead.
Help us to trust that the bridge will be strong and
the risk will be worth it.
In the Holy Family,
Sister Kathleen Maciej
2

VOLUME 18 //
NUMBER 2 //
SUMMER 2024
Nazareth Connections is published
three times a year by the Sisters of
the Holy Family of Nazareth
in the USA.
Editor:
Emily Dillon
Contents
JUBILARIANS
4 Sister M. Bernadette Sznurkowska
5 Sister Marietta Dudzinski
Sister Rita Partyka
6 Sister Theadora Krause
ARTICLES
7 Bethany House of Hospitality
9 Associate Lisa Schiro
12 Eucharistic Congresses
15 Blessed M. Stella and Her
Ten Companions
IN MEMORIAM
16 Sister M. Audrey Merski
DEVELOPMENT
17 Thank You from Our
Development Office
18 Announcing the Blessed
Foundress Giving Society!
2023 Province Financials
19 2024 “Glimpsing Grace”
Stay-at-Home Social
Sister Kathleen Maciej.
Sister Cathy Fedewa advocating for migrants
and refugees.
CSFN Sisters in Nazareth Academy High School
lobby ready to leave for the IEC programs in
August 1976.
Sisters Edyta Krawczyk, Molly Bernadette
Spiering, Faustina Ferko, Josephine Garrett,
and Hanna Paradowska at the 2024 National
Eucharistic Congress.
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 682-203-9675 or vocations@nazarethcsfn.org.
Proofreaders:
Sister Angela Szczawinska
Sister Mary Ellen Gemmell
Katherine Barth
Sister Lucille Madura
Amanda Giarratano
Province Communications Committee:
Sister Mary Ellen Gemmell
Sister Angela Szczawinska
Amanda Giarratano
Katherine Barth
Heidi Scheuer
Sister Emmanuela Le
Sister Marcella Louise Wallowicz
Sister Michele Vincent Fisher
Sister 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
communications@nazarethcsfn.org
nazarethcsfn.org
facebook.com/csfn.usa
instagram.com/csfn.usa
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
3

JUBILARIANS
Jubilarians
A TIME TO CELEBRATE
Sister M. Bernadette Sznurkowska – 75 Years
Sister M. Bernadette Sznurkowska’s 75 years as a religious reflect the many
rewarding opportunities to have served God, lay people, and the community in
many places: Philadelphia, Florida, and Rome.
Sister Bernadette grew up in her home parish of St. Stanislaus in New Haven,
CT, and said the sisters in St. Stanislaus School influenced her decision to enter
religious life. Starting in 1951, Sister Bernadette has ministered in education and
local administration at the convents and schools in the Philadelphia area. From
1960-1968, she also served in Florida with two other sisters at Plantation, FL,
and opened St. Gregory School.
Sister Bernadette enjoys growing flowers and working on puzzles with her current prayer ministry at Mount
Nazareth, PA.
“I was blessed with a family – mother, father, brothers, and sisters – who have always been supportive of me
in my religious life.”
4

Sister Marietta Dudzinski – 75 Years
The call to religious life for Sister Marietta Dudzinski blossomed from
reading many books on the lives of the saints, which ignited a fire within
her to become a sister. Working with the Nazareth Sisters had finally
solidified the decision.
Coming from her home parish of St. Stanislaus Church in Erie, PA, Sister
Marietta praises the awesome, beautiful, and loving God she serves.
Having experienced grace upon grace and blessings upon blessings
through her many years of service in the field of education and
community of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, she is full of
gratitude to the Lord for all the opportunities He has given her to
grow spiritually.
“I am blessed to have been a blessing to many students and people I encountered over the many years of
plenty. I give God all the praise, honor, and glory for all He has done for me.”
From 1989-2020, Sister Marietta worked in education in Cleveland, OH, as well as in Detroit, MI. From
2011-2019, she focused more on spiritual needs and instilling values. Though she is retired, she still feels
the call to evangelize by spreading the Gospel of Christ to those people whom God places in her path
by praying for inspiration to help them in their spiritual needs and instilling biblical values. Since she
is surrounded by many sick, lonely, and forgotten people, as well as workers and outside visitors,
Sister Marietta hopes they know they are loved and cared for.
“May my ministry be a blessing to them and give them strength, hope, and trust in God’s Word and in
building a deeper relationship with Jesus.”
Sister Rita Partyka – 75 Years
In describing her 75 years in religious life, Sister Rita Partyka says, “My
whole life has been a life of giving and receiving love from God and
from others.”
Growing up in Scranton, PA, at the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
Parish, Sister Rita said it was the Lord’s call, as well as her father’s
sister, Sister M. Pancratilla Partyka, CSFN, that influenced her decision
to enter religious life. After making her vows, Sister Rita taught at
the elementary level for seven years in New York, then three years in
McAdoo, PA. She went to the Novitiate in Meadowbrook, PA, afterward
as the sub-mistress for three years before going to Colegio Espiritu Santo in Puerto Rico from
1965-1978.
Additionally, Sister Rita taught high school English, journalism, and religion before becoming the Superior
of the convent and high school principal. She worked on vocation promotion at the high school and
directed both the school newspaper and the National Honor Society. After her time in Puerto Rico, she
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
5

Sister Rita Partyka Continued
transferred to the Novitiate as the Mistress of Novices, where she began the Association of the Holy
Family Program with a group of women, calling it FIAT. From 1981-1983, Sister Rita then served as the
Assistant Provincial until becoming the Provincial Superior of the then-Immaculate Conception Province
in Philadelphia from 1983-1989. After finishing her term, she became the Superior of our mission in the
Philippines and served there until 1992 when she was elected Assistant Superior General.
Besides serving the congregation from 1992-2001 in Rome, Italy, as well as being the Assistant Superior
General, Sister Rita was the CSFN General Liaison for Religious Formation, assisting the various
provinces with their formation programs. She also served as the General Coordinator of the Association
of the Holy Family and was involved in general Visitations. Upon returning to the U.S., she worked as the
Assistant Archivist of the Philadelphia Province until the merge of the provinces in 2007. From 2002-2019,
she also worked as the Director of the Association of the Holy Family, then as the Area Director of the
Mid-Atlantic Area of the Association after the merge.
As a prayerful, faithful, committed sister, Sister Rita continues to minister to other sisters in the
community and to families through prayer and sacrifice. She is deeply grateful to God for calling her to
religious life and has treasured every moment of sharing with her sisters in community, ministering to
families through education of their children, and working with the associates for so many years.
“God has blessed me abundantly. I have put my heart and soul into every ministry He has called me to.
And He has not been outdone in generosity.”
Sister Theadora Krause – 50 Years
After being in religious life for 50 years, Sister Theadora Krause
appreciates the willingness of the sisters to consider opportunities
beyond their comfort zones.
From 1981-2000, Sister Theadora served in healthcare as a nurse, nurse
practitioner, Vice President of Patient Care Services, and an ethicist in
Altoona, PA. From 1998-2007, she served on the CSFN Leadership
Teams as a councillor of the former St. Joseph Province in Pittsburgh,
PA, before serving at the James E. VanZandt VA Medical Center in
Altoona, PA, as a nurse practitioner and facilitator of the Traumatic
Brain Injury Clinic for veterans who have been deployed in recent wars and conflict zones. She also
served as the chief ethics consultant/ethicist for clinical and organizational ethics issues that arise. In 2024,
Sister Theadora was elected Provincial Superior for the Holy Family Province, USA.
As a compassionate, educated, and mission-driven sister, Sister Theadora enjoys travel, reading political
histories, and discussing complex issues.
“I was fortunate to be integral to the merging of our five American provinces from 2003-2007. During
that time, I was honored to witness the struggles we experienced as well as the courage we had to
overcome them to unite for a preferred future. My professional energies have been in healthcare, but
facilitating the merger was by far the most surprising of opportunities for me.”
6

ARTICLES
Compassionate
Care for Migrants:
Bethany House of
Hospitality
A TIME TO SERVE
By Sister Cathy Fedewa
There are those seeking a better, safer life in this
country. Our Statue of Liberty declares, “Give me
your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning
to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming
shore.” Those words originally addressed the crowded
ships coming from Europe. Now they continue
to come by sea, but also by land and air. Are they
welcomed?
Some come as a matter of CHOICE because they
prefer our country’s opportunities, resources, beauty,
freedom, and education. Thousands seek those
same ideals because of the poverty, violence, and
persecution they experience in their homeland. So, it
is not a choice — it is a desperate NECESSITY, a
matter of survival. And many know they will not be
welcomed. They may be turned back. They may die
trying to reach this land. But they still try; that is what
desperation does.
work today looks a little different, but it is achieving
the same end — care and supporting and encouraging
individuals, but also advocacy for the safety and
security for their families, even to the point of simply
keeping those families together. Faith and civic groups
as well have been able to tap the generosity and selfgiving
efforts of people willing to give generously of
their time, talent, and treasure to help the newcomers
in many ways, whether that be finding shelter, supplying
physical needs, helping to educate, providing legal
guidance, or simply befriending those “lost” in finding
their way in this new and strange life.
Our province is a founding member and sustaining
community of Bethany House of Hospitality, a ministry
offering housing and support services to young
immigrant women as they journey to independence.
When unaccompanied minors come into the United
States, they are placed in shelters until they can be
united with their family here. If they have no family
and turn 18 years old, they can no longer remain in
those shelters. They are on their own at that point.
Bethany House takes in these young women and
offers them the shelter and services (legal, educational,
psychological, medical, etc.) to help them as they
journey in their efforts to achieve asylum, become
independent, and pursue their dream of living fruitful
lives in this country. Some of our residents also come
from border shelters as young, single mothers with
small children. As a founding board member, I am
privileged to assist in helping develop and support
these programs. I also assist on the board of Viator
House of Hospitality, which is a similar program serving
young men.
Mother Foundress knew in her heart why so many
left their homelands to come to the land of promise,
only to find themselves in squalid conditions with
no medical help, no education, and no one willing to
serve their needs. That is what prompted her difficult
decision to bring half the community across the ocean
to help those migrants.
Sisters have assisted migrants since the days we
first came to this country — sometimes directly,
giving shelter, sustenance, and encouragement —
and sometimes indirectly through the education,
healthcare, and social services that dealt with the
systems that kept so many in poverty. Much of the
Sister Cathy Fedewa teaching ESL.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
7

assistance with food, clothing, and translation that helps
them move on in the next step of their journey. It also
works with staffing some of the new shelters in the
city popping up as a result of the busloads of migrants
sent from Texas with nowhere to go and no resources.
They have also managed to help some families find
housing with the assistance of generous persons, some
even willing to share their own homes.
So many migrants know little or nothing of the English
language. One group, as a sponsored ministry of the
Dominican Sisters, established Aquinas Literacy Center,
which offers classes at a low cost to adults in one area
of the city. Right next to what is known as Chinatown,
most students are Latino or Chinese. I’ve so often
felt the limitation of not knowing another language to
speak and share with immigrants, but I found I can help
others learn English. I have been fortunate to assist
students who spoke Spanish, Chinese, and Arabic. I may
not be able to assist hundreds but I can help a few.
I was fortunate to become acquainted within a year
after I came to Chicago with a group called Sisters and
Brothers of Immigrants. As a religious group in the
archdiocese, we have provided advocacy, educational
events, interfaith prayer, and public witness to help the
public become aware of the circumstances immigrants
face as well as offering options for ways they can join
in these efforts. Many of the members of this group
have also been part of other groups and efforts to
address issues of immigration.
The Interfaith Community for Detained Immigrants
(now the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants)
started with a ministry visiting immigrants detained by
the government at centers in Illinois and Wisconsin.
The main purpose for the visits was to let these
immigrants — most of whom were undocumented —
know someone cared about them and was willing to
listen to their stories, and sometimes assist in some
small way since so many were separated from their
families and children and had no one to help them. It
was a privilege to walk with these men and women,
even for short visits.
This group grew in several different directions,
especially when all the detention centers in Illinois
closed. ICDI now works with migrants passing
through the city at the Greyhound station, needing
The most recent group established is called the
Sanctuary Working Group and is hard at work finding
housing for newly arrived immigrants. Several faith
groups are involved; one home they have been able
to set up is the SWG House of Hospitality, where
at this time, there are two families and three single
men living in a group setting together. While receiving
guidance from case workers, they are addressing legal,
educational, and healthcare needs preparing them to
be able to live independently.
Funds are short and there is only one staff member, so
volunteers like me spend a few hours on weekends to
be present to these residents and sometimes help with
language needs. Other volunteers help with driving to
legal and healthcare appointments.
Living in Chicago certainly affords numerous and
diverse opportunities for assisting our brothers
and sisters newly arrived in our country. It offers an
opportunity to continue in the ministry that brought
Mother Foundress and our sisters here to this city and
this country. Our sisters in other parts of the country
are also active in this ministry. I join with them in spirit
and I am grateful I have a wealth of opportunities here
as part of my retirement ministry.
Sister Becky Sullivan and Sister Cathy Fedewa getting
ready to participate in Walk for Refugee Kids.
8

“I came to Ascension Holy Family Hospital to
interview for a public relations position. I was a year
out of college and had interviewed all the way up the
line when I found myself in front of Sister Patricia
Ann Koschalke, who was starting to look at me
funny. I thought I must have said something wrong,
but when I asked about it, she said, ‘No, I just have
a position open in the development office and I’ve
interviewed a lot of people for it, and I think you
might be a good candidate. Would you be interested
in interviewing for that job instead?’” Lisa eventually
acquired the development position, but was a little
worried about her lack of skills needed for the role.
Sister Patricia Ann only said, “I will teach you how I
want it done.”
Associate
Lisa Schiro
Our Association of the Holy Family nurtures the
spirituality of lay individuals who have dedicated
themselves to living Nazareth spirituality in their
families, in their workplace, and in the world.
These women and men help advance the mission
and ministry of our Congregation through faithful
listening, loving relationships, and recognizing
God’s presence in their daily encounters. After a
period of orientation and discernment, they make a
commitment to daily prayer and living the values of
the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth (CSFN)
within their families and parish communities. While
each member brings a unique perspective to the
association, all associates are committed to advancing
the mission and ministry of the Sisters of the Holy
Family of Nazareth.
Meet Lisa Schiro, an associate of 13 years, who
first found herself face to face with one of our
sisters at the beginning of her career in a most
unexpected way.
Sister Patricia Ann became Lisa’s mentor after that.
Over the next 12 years, they would do everything
together, from praying before every meeting to
attending wakes, funerals, special occasions, and
lunches with donors. “I learned the way Sister
wanted the office run in her hospital,” Lisa explained.
It was a wonderfully fulfilling career. We made many
friends and held fun and very successful special
events like gala dinners and golf outings.”
While working at the hospital and raising her young
family, Lisa’s first husband passed away.
“The sisters really circled around me with emotional
support,” Lisa said. When her daughter, Samantha,
started struggling with separation anxiety in school
as a new kindergartner, her good friend Tom, an
electrical contractor at the hospital and a good
donor to the sisters, said, “Call the sisters.”
The next day, Lisa brought Samantha to meet Sister
Julie Kozielska, the principal at St. Emily Catholic
School in Mt. Prospect, IL. Sister Julie assured Lisa
and Samantha that St. Emily’s was a good fit and
there was nothing to be worried about. “You’re going
to start coming to school here,” Sister Julie said.
“You are going to be safe here. You know the sisters.
Everything’s going to be OK.” Samantha never cried
again and she was successful in kindergarten because
of the sisters, said Lisa.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
9

During that same time, Sister Sandra Marie
Sosnowski asked Lisa how she was doing.
“I’m really having a hard time,” Lisa said. “I’m still
in this ‘angry’ phase and I can’t get things back to
normal.” Sister Sandra Marie looked her in the eyes
and said, “Oh Lisa, things are never going to go back
to normal. You have to create a new normal.”
“It was like a light bulb went on,” Lisa remembered.
“It helped so much.”
After the hospital merged with Resurrection and
Sister Patricia Ann moved on to fulfill a new role,
Lisa left the hospital and accepted a development
position with The Little Sisters of the Poor in
Palatine, IL, for the next five years. It was during this
time in her life that she began her discernment to
become an associate.
“When I was approached about
becoming an associate, it was an
easy YES. I was already deeply
connected and was familiar with
their charism. And I missed working
with the Sisters of the Holy Family.
It was like the calling had always
been there. It was a mere formality
and a way I could make it more
permanent.”
- Lisa Schiro
After working with Sisters Lauren Sosnowski and
Dolores Kazmierczak discerning her membership, Lisa
became an associate in 2011. “It was really meaningful
for me because it was a much deeper dive into my
feelings about it. And I was discerning without even
realizing they were discerning me as well. You can’t just
declare to everyone in the room that you want to be
an associate. You need to make sure they’re going to
honor your relationship with the sisters and treat it
with respect. I truly embraced my discernment with
Sisters Lauren and Dolores.”
The sisters’ impact on Lisa’s life had gone way beyond
her membership in the Association, however. “My
adult children know the sisters and my husband has a
relationship with the sisters as well.”
Sister Michael Marie Franzak in particular was one
of the sisters working at St. Emily’s when Samantha
went to school there. When Lisa got remarried there
in 2002, it was to Tom Schiro, the very electrical
contractor who told her years before to call the sisters
in her time of need. The entire church had been filled
with sisters, including Sister Michael Marie and a few
others who sang and played beautiful music at the
wedding ceremony.
10

Lisa and Tom had become friends while working at
Ascension Holy Family, though Sister Rosemarie
Machalski in particular credits herself as their
matchmaker. One day, Lisa was walking out of
daycare after dropping Samantha off when she
stopped Lisa and said, “I think you should date Tom
Schiro. We collectively think that he would be a
good husband.” Lisa and Tom were married two
years later and each year get a handful of sisters
who remember their role in pairing the couple up!
“We always get an anniversary card now. During
the pandemic, we finally realized after all these
years, Tom and Sister Rosemarie share the same
birthday. We never knew it!”
Today, Lisa works as the Senior Director of
Development for Presbyterian Homes, a Life Plan
Community organization in the Chicago area.
Though her whole career has centered around
fundraising, she has been able to work with
residents and their families every day. “I not only
get to apply what I’m doing here for my own family,
but for those families as well. Being able to transmit
what I glean from the sisters and using that as a leg
extension for the congregation and for the ministry
keeps me engaged. If I can be a calming person in
my family, more understanding and less judgmental
when family tension occurs, then I’m supporting the
family and by extension doing the sisters’ work to
enhance families as well.”
The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth are
called to extend the Kingdom of God’s love among
themselves and others by living the spirit of Jesus,
Mary, and Joseph, whose lives were centered in
the love of God and one another. Their witness to
this love through dedicated service to the Church,
especially in ministry to the family, is what guides
their mission and service daily.
“I have always appreciated the way the sisters
approach their ministries,” Lisa continued. “They
really are invested and involved in a very subtle way.
Even Sister Michael Marie, who uses a lot of her
ministry through music, the extension of that to
her own sisters, to her own path, and to others, is
beautiful to witness. They all bring their individual
talents to the table and nothing is ever diminished.
Sister Patricia Ann in particular knitted my son’s
baptismal jacket and has always had a green thumb.
Whether it’s sewing, gardening, or baking, the
sisters find a way to use that part of themselves
and deliver it to others through their ministry.
Sister M. Lucille Madura and Sister Sandra Marie
Sosnowski used to deliver a small bag of cookies
and bread every Christmas Eve, and my kids would
use the bread for French toast every Christmas
morning. Even today, they still make French toast
every Christmas morning as a tradition. It was neat
to have the sisters be a part of our Christmas like
that. It’s very much to honor them.”
For Lisa, being an associate means taking her role
as an extension of their ministries. Even when life
gets busy and her attention taken up by the busier
seasons of work, the challenge to remain connected
through the role of an associate guides her daily.
“Staying involved and aligned with the sisters
fuels my work.” From the witness of sharing their
own talents and skills to maintaining relationships
through investment of time and deep connection,
there is no greater strength that keeps Lisa’s heart
within the sisters’ mission.
To learn more about our Association,
visit our website, nazarethcsfn.org.
1999(7), left to right: Sister Patricia Ann Koschalke, President,
Holy Family Hospital; Bruno Cecchin, Golf Outing Co-Chair; Dr.
Jim Naatz, DN Staff at Holy Family Hospital; Tom Schiro, Golf
Outing Co-Chair; Lisa Schiro, Director of Development at Holy
Family Hospital.
Ascension Holy Family Hospital, known as Holy Family
Hospital at the time, at the corner of Golf and River
Roads in Des Plaines, IL, just east of the Provincialate.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
11

Eucharistic
Congresses
From August 1-8, 1976, in conjunction with our
country’s bicentennial, the United States hosted
the 41st International Eucharistic Congress
(IEC) in Philadelphia, PA. The event brought 1.5
million Catholics, 44 cardinals, and 417 bishops
to the birthplace of the U.S. Among the keynote
speakers were two future canonized Saints:
Cardinal Karol Wojtyla (later Pope John Paul II)
and Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The theme of the
Congress was The Eucharist and the Hungers
of the Human Family. Conferences and events
explored different aspects of physical and
spiritual hunger.
prelates, including Cardinal Wojtyla. This was
Sister’s first encounter with the future Pope John
Paul II, but not the last. In leadership capacity,
Sister Janice — as Provincial Superior of our
former Immaculate Heart of Mary Province and
later as Provincial Superior of the former Blessed
Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd Province —
attended several General Chapters in Rome.
During these Chapters, delegates met in a private
audience with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican and
attended Mass celebrated by him in his private
chapel. Sister recalled another meeting with
the future Saint at the time of the beatification
of Mother Foundress in 1989. Sister had the
privilege of meeting him during his visit to
our generalate.
Three key events highlighted the IEC: a candlelight
procession from the Cathedral of Saints Peter
and Paul along the Parkway, a day dedicated to
various ethnic groups, and the closing liturgy in
JFK Stadium. Along with the conferences and
keynote talks, these parallel the highlights of the
2024 National Eucharistic Congress: the National
Eucharistic Pilgrimage, the Spanish, English,
Vietnamese, and Eastern-rite liturgies, and the
closing liturgy at Lucas Oil Stadium.
350,000 people processed a 1-mile route along
the Parkway on one August evening in 1976.
This summer, hundreds of thousands processed
more than 2,600 miles over the span of two
months from four corners of the United States to
Indianapolis. At the IEC, the gift to the Church of
the various ethnic cultures was celebrated in 22
distinct liturgies.
Sister Janice Kobierowski, although ministering
in New England in 1976, was in the city for her
summer home visit. Her family resided within
Saint Adalbert Parish, which hosted the Polish
12

1976 was a special year for Sister Marguerite Therese
Maguire not only because of the IEC, but it was also
the year of her final vows. Sister reflected on her
attendance at the closing liturgy, noting what a moving
experience it was to hear more than 100,000 singing
the official hymn, “Gift of Finest Wheat,” which has
endured over the years. Another sister commented
she was touched by the sending forth hymn, “To Jesus
Christ Our Sovereign King,” an experience of the
call to mission that this year’s Congress attendees
also shared. Nearly 50 years after the IEC, the Holy
Spirit is once again empowering Catholics to witness
their faith in the Real Presence and invite others into
relationship with Our Eucharistic Lord.
On May 31, 2024, Holy Family University was a stop
along the Seton Route of the National Eucharistic
Pilgrimage. Fifteen permanent pilgrims accompanied
the Blessed Sacrament from Norwich, CT, along
the eastern coast. The opportunity to pray with
these pilgrims before the Blessed Sacrament in the
university chapel was extended to our sisters in the
Mid-Atlantic area. Our sisters were moved by the
faithful witness of these young men and women.
Ironically, on May 31 the Church celebrates the Feast
of the Visitation, the first Eucharistic Procession, when
Mary carrying Jesus in her womb visited Elizabeth.
In 1976, another sponsored ministry, Nazareth
Academy High School, was also a stop for Congress
participants — in particular, the Polish delegation to
the IEC, including the future Pope John Paul II.
St. Teresa of Calcutta at the IEC Candlelight Procession.
Left to right: Sister M. Annette Zajkowska, Sister M. Justine
Petner, Sister M. Laurenta Blacharska, and Sister M. Charlotte
Niemczyk.
Detailed pen and ink drawing of the exterior of the
Cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
13

In 1976, many of our sisters worked “behind
the scenes” at the Congress, participating in the
archdiocesan 1,000-voice choir and daily liturgies,
hosting pilgrims and prelates, and preparing
students for various roles in the week’s events.
In 2024, some of our sisters had a more visible
role in the Congress and the Revival. Sister
Josephine Garrett was a keynote speaker on
Day 3 of the Congress. The author of Hope: An
Invitation and host of the podcast Hope Stories,
Sister Josephine addressed our brokenness as
humans and as a Church, but reminded those in
attendance that Jesus the Divine Healer meets us
in our brokenness. Sisters Marcelina Mikulska and
Marcella Louise Wallowicz serve on the editorial
board for the Heart of the Revival newsletter, a
weekly blog on the Eucharistic Revival under the
auspices of the USCCB.
The National Eucharistic Congress marks a
transition from the Year of Parish Revival to
the Year of Mission in which we are called to
be disciples. The Year of Parish Revival was the
opportunity to renew or deepen our personal
relationship with the Eucharistic Lord. Now we
are invited to share the fruits of this year and the
events of this summer and bring Christ’s love to a
world still hungering for it.
Sister Josephine as keynote speaker.
The Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia,
where the 41st International Eucharistic Congress’ opening
day was held.
The late Sister M. Jane Menzenska of Holy Family College
staffing our Congregation’s booth at the Civic Center Exhibit
in August 1976.
14

We Remember
Blessed M.
Stella and
Her Ten
Companions
In the summer of 1943, 120 people were arrested
by the Gestapo in Nowogródek, a small town in
German-occupied Poland (now Belarus) where the
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth had served
families since September 4, 1929. The sisters prayed
these captured men and women would be returned
to their families: “O God, if sacrifice of life is needed,
accept it from us who are free from family obligations.
Spare those who have wives and children.”
On August 1, 1943, 11 of the 12 sisters in
Nowogródek were loaded into a truck and driven
into the woods where they were executed by Nazi
soldiers and thrown into a mass grave. Now 81 years
later, we remember the sacrifice of these sisters and
the love they showed for the families they served.
We pray “that like them we may witness with our
lives to the presence of the Kingdom of God’s love
and extend it to the human family throughout the
world” (from “Prayer through the intercession of
Nowogródek Martyrs”).
The Martyred Sisters of Nowogródek were beatified
by Pope John Paul II (now St. John Paul II) on March
5, 2000.
To read more about Blessed M. Stella and her
Ten Companions, please visit our website under
the About Us section, titled Blessed Martyrs of
Nowogródek. We also invite you to join us in prayer
through the intercession of the Nowogródek Martyrs:
O most blessed Trinity,
we praise and thank you for the example of
Blessed Mary Stella and Her Ten Companions,
Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who by imitating
Jesus Christ, offered themselves as a sacrifice of love.
God of mercy and compassion, through the merits of their
martyrdom and by their intercession, grant us the grace
we humbly ask…(insert intention here)…so that like
them, we may witness with our lives to the presence of the
Kingdom of God’s love and extend it to the human
family throughout the world. We ask this through Christ,
our Lord. Amen. Blessed Martyred Sisters of Nowogródek,
pray for us.
The Martyred Sisters of Nowogródek.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
15

In Memoriam
A TIME TO MOURN
Sister M.
Audrey Merski
May 18, 1938 – May
9, 2024
“As long as your
heart remains pure
and docile, God
dwells in you and
establishes His
Kingdom (there).”
(Blessed Mary of
Jesus the Good Shepherd, Journey with Her, p. 15)
Sister Audrey was born May 18, 1938 in Erie, PA, and
baptized on November 22 in the parish church of Saint
Stanislaus. Her parents, John Merski and Eleanore Maras,
welcomed her into their home as did her brothers,
Norman and Leroy. The Merski family is well known in
the city of Erie for their involvement in local businesses
and even politics. When Audrey’s mother died in 1952,
her father married Elizabeth Laskowski who had a son,
John, and a daughter, Patricia, whom she continued to be
in contact with throughout her convent life.
Sister Audrey attended the parish grade school that was
staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Upon graduation in 1952, she attended Saint Benedict
High School staffed by the Erie Benedictine Sisters.
When she voiced her interest in religious life, one of the
Benedictine Sisters thought her calling may be better
served by sharing in the family charism of the Sisters
who taught her at Saint Stanislaus Grade School.
Audrey agreed and requested to join the Sisters of
the Holy Family of Nazareth and was accepted as
a postulant at the Provincialate of Saint Joseph on
September 8, 1956. She continued her formation
program as a novice on September 11, 1957, receiving
the name Carmelita. She continued to have a special
devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel throughout
her life and kept this as her feast day.
She professed her First Vows on August 11, 1959, at
the Provincialate in Bellevue, PA, and began her life
of service and dedication to the members of God’s
family wherever she lived and ministered. She chose
to offer her life with her spouse, Jesus, our High Priest,
professing her Perpetual Vows on August 11, 1965, in
Bellevue, PA.
Sister Audrey pursued her professional education
through studies in Education at Saint John’s College in
Cleveland, OH receiving her bachelor’s degree on May
17, 1970. She did her graduate studies at the University
of Pittsburgh, receiving her master’s degree in special
education on August 8, 1972. In particular, her heart
reached out to children with special needs whose lives
she touched with hope and blessings as members of
God’s family.
Sister Audrey was a primary teacher and was also
involved in the special education of students at Holy
Family Institute. She became a principal of Saints Cyril
and Methodius School in McKees Rocks, PA. From
there, she served on the Pittsburgh Sisters’ Council,
became the director of the Mount Nazareth Learning
Center from 1996-2008, and volunteered at Nazareth
Prep from 2018-2021. As in life, so in death, Sister
Audrey reminded us that children show us the way to
the Kingdom.
Sister Audrey entered her final resting place on the feast
of the Ascension on May 9, 2024, and was welcomed
home on May 13, 2024, where she was buried at Saint
Joseph Cemetery in Pittsburgh, PA.
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.
16

DEVELOPMENT
Thank You from Our
Development Office
A TIME FOR THANKS
Often during the 17 years I have served as development director for the Sisters of the Holy Family of
Nazareth, I have been humbled by the faithful and loving support of our friends and benefactors. Year after
year, you have shown your unfailing generosity. We are so very thankful for each and every one of you!
Because of you, we can support the needs of all our sisters, so they in turn may “further God’s kingdom by
building communities of love and hope among ourselves and among the families of the world.” Thanks to your
kindness, in 2023 we were able to purchase new dual temp valves and replace piping at Mt. Nazareth Convent
in Philadelphia, PA, replace two sewer injector pumps at Holy Family Convent in Des Plaines, IL, and replace
windows at Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent in Monroe, CT. These and many other important projects
could not have been accomplished without you!
You have not only become a part of our history, but a deep part of our lives. You are a gift to us — an
incredible blessing — and we are thankful! Please know our sisters keep you, your loved ones, and your
special intentions in their daily prayers.
With Gratitude,
Katherine Barth
National Director of Development
We Couldn’t Do It Without You!
We in the Development Office don’t have enough words to express how grateful we are for the wonderful
individuals who have served on our committees and all those who have been instrumental to the success of
our fundraising programs! Thank you for the time and talents you have shared with us.
NAZARETH RETREAT CENTER COMMITTEE, SOUTHWEST AREA
Mary Jean Moloney, Tim Moloney, Andy Navarro, Bill Quinn, Polly Weidenkopf, Sister Francesca Witkowska,
CSFN, Sister Mary Paul Haase, CSFN, Sister Mary Louise Swift, CSFN, Sister Monika Brulinska, CSFN, Sister
Marietta Osinska, CSFN, Sister David Sibiski, CSFN, and Katherine Barth.
SPRING FEST COMMITTEE
Mary Chybicki, Gunther Dorth, Margaret Gorder, Michael Hoban, Jacqueline Hyzy, Jackie Pokorny, Mary
Puente, Bob Neil, and Sister Clare Marie Kozicki, CSFN.
NAZARETH CONNECTIONS // SUMMER 2024
17

Below are listed our inaugural members
of the Blessed Foundress Giving Society.
NAZARETH CIRCLE
Dr. Marilyn Lisowski
JERUSALEM CIRCLE
Ms. Moneta B. De Castro, MD
Ms. Annette M. Marlinga
Tom and Mary Meehan
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Pietrandrea
GALILEE CIRCLE
Brad and Katherine Barth
The Czarkowski Family
Carol and Sharon Danieli
Loretta M. Hennessey
Naval and Diane Kapoor
John and Betsey St. Louis
Announcing the
Blessed Foundress
Giving Society!
In 2023, we instituted the Blessed Foundress Giving Society to
recognize our friends and benefactors who made cumulative
donations totaling $1,000 or greater during a calendar year.
We are all very grateful for their faithful generosity!
2023 PROVINCE FINANCIALS
BETHLEHEM CIRCLE
Kevin and Kathy Bosworth
Ms. Maria Bradley and Mr. Martin A. Pfister
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Clark
Gary and Maureen Conover
Mr. Ulysses J. De St Germain
Ms. Kathleen DeMartino
+ Ms. Mary Ann Modrowski
Charlie and Cathy Hirst
Mr. Norman S. and Catherine J. Landino
Father Jack Lizewski
Mr. and Mrs. Robert F. Lovezzola
Linda McClung and Doug Workman
John Palesano
John and Kathleen Robbins
Mr. and Mrs. Guadalupe Romo
Mr. and Mrs. Prince Singh
David Westerman
Kathy A. Wyszynski
Mr. and Mrs. Stanley V. Zawila
As well as our Anonymous Benefactors
18

2024 Glimpsing Grace
Stay-at-Home Social
Add 7 p.m. EST/6 p.m. CST Wednesday, October 23, to your calendar to virtually join us at our 2024 Stayat-Home
Social: Glimpsing Grace! This event will feature our sisters’ stories about ways they experience
grace and recognize God in their everyday lives.
For more information, contact Heidi Scheuer at hscheuer@nazarethcsfn.org, call (847) 298-6760,
ext. 238, or go to the “News & Events” section of our website, nazarethcsfn.org.
TO MAKE A DONATION TO SUPPORT OUR SISTERS
• Mail: Send donations to the Development Office, 310 N. River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60016.
• Website: www.nazarethcsfn.org — Click “Donate” to use a credit card or checking account.
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/csfn.usa — Click “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 // SUMMER 2024
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
ORDER OPLATKI FOR
YOUR CHRISTMAS EVE
CELEBRATION
We are once again pleased to offer our friends and family oplatki
for the Christmas season. Oplatki (“oplatek” is the singular form)
are paper-thin wafers of unleavened bread embossed with symbols
from the Christmas story. Our oplatki (2 x 4 inches) are baked by
our sisters in Nowogródek, Belarus. This symbol of unity is made
available to you with the sincere prayer that you will find peace of
mind and heart as you recall the sacred mystery of the Nativity of
our Lord Jesus Christ, born of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
You may order these special wafers by calling our
Development Office at (847) 298-6760, ext. 137, or
visit at nazarethcsfn.org/donate/request-oplatki.
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.