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It all began in Barry’s Bay, a village in Renfrew County. It was here that I was born, baptized, and grew up. I was the first of four children. My family consisted of my parents, Susan and Peter, my sister, Agatha, my two brothers, Gregory and Robert and me. They have always been an important part of my life and very supportive of me. For this I thank God. We were members of a Polish Parish, St. Hedwig’s, and our life centred around our Catholic Faith. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Pembroke had a convent near the church and so they were part of my life during my childhood. They staffed the school, and were my teachers in every grade from Grade Two to Grade Thirteen. I have many memories of these women, and it was through them that I began to look at my vocation as well as my future in education. After this I went to Ottawa Normal School at the ripe old age of sixteen and then began my teaching career in a one room school in Round Lake Centre where I taught all grades from One to Ten and had the responsibility of teacher, principal, keeper of the fire, provider of hot soup in the winter for the children’s lunches, and anything else that came up, for four years. This gave me experiences that would serve me well through my teaching years. From here I took a position at St. Joseph’s School in North Bay where I met the Sisters of St. Joseph of Sault Ste. Marie, and once again felt the call to Religious Life. Among the many sisters who influenced me was Sister Mary Louise who was principal of the school. The memory of her kindness has remained with me. At this time Bishop Dignan decided that I should enter the convent. This rubbed me the wrong way so I left North Bay and went to Windsor for two years. However God seemed to have other plans for me, and after much prayer and many arguments with myself I realized that maybe Bishop Dignan was right and I entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on September 2, 1952. My life as a Sister of St. Joseph has presented me with many graces and challenges. I have been principal, and sometimes teacher, in St. Mary’s and St. Rita’s Schools in North Bay, St. Michael’s in Sudbury, Corpus Christi, St. Ignatius, St. Bernard’s and St. Martin’s in Thunder Bay, as well as local leader at St. Agnes Convent. I retired from education in 1981 after 36 years. Then I was again faced with a challenge as Executive Director of St. Joseph’s Heritage in Thunder Bay. My ministry with the elderly provided me with new opportunities to live our Charism of Love of the Dear Neighbour. After a year of rest I was asked to be the Administrator and local leader at Avila Centre which was a retreat centre and a school of music as well as a home for many sisters. After two years I responded to a call to be the Executive Secretary of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada and I moved to Toronto for four years. This was a truly blessed time for me as I worked with the six Congregations of our Canadian Federation and met so many and worked with them on what it means to be a Sister of St. Joseph and to carry on our mission. It was during this time that the Canadian Federation hosted Event 90 and our American sisters as well as the French Federation joined in this celebration. It was after this that I returned to our Motherhouse in North Bay and worked with our elderly sisters in Pastoral Care. This was a very privileged time as these sisters shared their lives with me. I retired from this in December 2005, and am now living in an apartment at St. Joseph’s-on-the-Lake. As I look back on my life I realize God has been with me through these years and that the Sisters of St. Joseph have an important role to play in God’s plan.
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