of Jesus Host
(Mary Wolyniec)
August 3, 2006
Immaculate Heart of Mary
Monroe, Connecticut
“If you desire to love God with a genuine love, choose to be little and unassuming. Remain at the feet of Jesus. ..Love your own humble status, and love God's gracious omnipotence.” Journey with Her p. 43.
Like many of their compatriots of the time, Boleslaus Wolyniec and Justine Zdanowicz left their beloved Poland in quest of a better life in America. There, God blessed their marriage with five children, one of them being Mary Theresa.
Daily contact with the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth at Holy Cross School in Maspeth, New York must have kindled in Mary a desire for the religious life. She completed secondary studies at Nazareth Academy in Torresdale, Pennsylvania, and on June 6, 1938, the very day after her high school graduation, Mary was received by the Congregation as a postulant. Entrance into the novitiate occurred June 22, 1939, and she received her new name: Sister Mary Annunciata. Her first vows were taken on June 20, 1941, and when she made her final profession on August 12, 1947, she chose as her mystery: Jesus Host.
For nearly sixty years, Sister Annunciata dedicatedly spent herself in the service of God’s people as an elementary school teacher. Her first assignments were to schools in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; subsequent transfers brought her back to the Empire State: to Brooklyn, Wading River, East New York, and Maspeth, her own hometown. She truly loved the teaching profession and the students entrusted to her. Indeed, being with younger children was a life-giving source of joy for Sister Annunciata. The smaller the child, the happier she seemed, thus revealing to observers a part of her personality otherwise hidden.
Sister Annunciata was blessed with a keen intelligence – studies were a welcome challenge to her and she consistently maintained status as an honor student. At recreation, she could be occupied with her own reading and still manage to solve the puzzles on “Jeopardy” before the contestants did. She was not given to flaunting her superior capabilities, however. Rather, her creative use of them made her an excellent educator: well-prepared lessons, a well-disciplined class, innovative tricks of the trade to get the lessons learned, extreme patience with slower pupils and perseverance with more difficult ones, availability before and after class for extra help. An especially good reading teacher, Sister successfully held summer reading clinics at the provincialate in Monroe. Her last years in education were spent as tutor in English for children newly-arrived from Poland.
Although Sister Annunciata was somewhat frail throughout her life, she chose to care for herself. Dealing with her own physical ailments enabled her to be compassionate toward others who suffered – particularly her father, whom she devotedly visited at a nursing home until his death.
Even as a high school senior, Sister Annunciata’s strong conviction that Jesus was calling her to Nazareth, made of her an example to others aspiring to religious life. She was admired for her piety, and her love for the Holy Family and for Mother Foundress. Prayer was essential to her. As a novice assigned to sacristy duty, Sister Annunciata counted herself blessed and privileged to be “so close to Jesus.” Gentle and unassuming, she was intent on being faithful to the Rule she had vowed to keep.
In community Sister Annunciata was a kind, calm, peaceful person. Being of a private, reserved, and serious disposition, in her own humble way she added to the harmony of life in common. Her artistic talents were used to repair and restore damaged statues, and Sister derived great pleasure in being able to help others in this way.
In 1997 Sister Annunciata retired to the provincialate in Monroe, Connecticut, and for as long as she was physically able, she enjoyed participating in whatever activities were offered. Increasing debilitation caused her to be bedridden for the last four years of her life. She gratefully acknowledged her visitors and caretakers by means of a few, sincere syllables, and even more so by her lively blue eyes and her ever-sweet smile. In the very early quiet of August 3, 2006, as quietly as she had lived, Sister Annunciata just as quietly passed on to life eternal.
Once, when Sister Annunciata’s class was highly commended for a project, one of her students proudly remarked: “We done good, didn’t we, Sister!”
Scripture would say it this way: Well done, good and faithful Sister Annunciata! Enter now into the joy of your Lord!
Digitized by S. Brendan O'Brien, CSFN
Instructor
School of Arts & Sciences
History Department
Holy Family University
9801 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19114
215-637-7700 x3279
srbrendan@holyfamily.edu
http://web3.holyfamily.edu/srbrendan
Last updated: September 2006