of the Immaculate Virgin
(Jane Jaroszewska)
November 23, 1918 – December 19, 2002
Sacred Heart Province
Des Plaines, Illinois
“Follow Jesus closely and remain steadfast. Remember whoever perseveres to the end shall be saved and will receive the crown of eternal life.” (Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd)
Sister Janet Marie hoped to be remembered as a simple, unassuming and prayerful religious always striving to be the best that she could be. In this respect, she did persevere until the end of her life at the age of eighty-four, having spent nearly sixty-eight years in the service of the God whom she loved from the time of her youth.
Sister Janet Marie was one of seven children born to Anthony and Theophila Jaroszewski, who had emigrated to the United States from Poland. She was born on November 23, 1918, and baptized at Holy Trinity Church on the 1st of December and given the name of Janina, which became Jane and Janet at different times in her life. She grew up in a home that was very religious, where daily prayers and attendance at Sunday Mass and Vespers were common practices. She attended St. James School, where she was taught by the Felician Sisters and later St. Hyacinth School, where she came in contact with the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. In both instances, she used to help the Sisters in the convent chapel and then in the sacristy of the church. She credits these experiences with planting the seed of a religious vocation in her soul. She specifically felt the influence of the late Sister Lauretana in her desire to become a religious, leading to her acceptance as a postulant on September 7, 1935. She completed her high school education at Holy Family Academy in 1936.
On July 16, 1936, she was invested as a novice and was given the name of Sister Apollonia. After Vatican II she reverted to the name of Sister Janet Marie. Following two years of novitiate, she made her first profession on August 15, 1938, and began a thirty-four year journey as a teacher in various elementary schools conducted by the congregation in Illinois, Indiana and Texas. The schools where Sister served include St. Adalbert, Assumption BVM, St. Ann, St. Michael Archangel, Our Lady of Hope and St. Josaphat in Illinois; St. Adalbert and St. Casimir in Indiana; and St. Thomas Aquinas in Dallas, Texas. After six years of temporary profession, Sister Apollonia made her final profession on August 15, 1944, when she took as her mystery of vows, the Immaculate Virgin. She also served as local superior at St. Casimir Convent.
In 1974 Sister changed ministerial direction and became the purchasing manager at Holy Family Hospital in Des Plaines, a ministry which she took to easily because of her skill with numbers. She was conscientious and very personable in her dealings with others. Her ability to work well with finances was recognized and in 1979 she was appointed as the Treasurer for Sacred Heart Province. She served in that capacity for two terms, and was simultaneously, a member of the Provincial Council.
For ten years, she capably and responsibly stewarded the financial resources of the province, and was grateful for the trust that the community invested in her. Sister felt that her ministry as Provincial Treasurer was her greatest contribution to the community and she found it both interesting and rewarding.
After completing her term as Provincial Treasurer she worked in the Business Office at Holy Family Hospital until she became ill in 1993. Following her recovery she was assigned to Holy Family House of Prayer in Schiller Park for a time. In 1994, she returned to the Provincialate to assist with various tasks. In 1996, while a member of St. Joseph Community in the Provincialate, Sister Janet Marie was assigned to duties at Holy Family Health Center. In 1998, nearing the age of eighty , Sister Janet Marie was assigned to the reception desk at the Provincialate. Her’s was a full life’s experience from classroom to finances to health care and finally to telephone receptionist covering a time frame of sixty years. Sister Janet Marie wanted to be a simple, unassuming religious, doing her work faithfully, seeking no further reward, and that she did, almost to the end of her days. At the end of February in the year 2000, Sister Janet Marie was transferred to Nazarethville, where she spent the remaining days of her life.
Sister Janet Marie had an artistic bent. She wrote in her Life Portrait of her love for painting. This talent was called on in her early years and she recalled that it was one of her duties to paint. She enjoyed creating beautiful sceneries, painting sick call burses, Easter eggs, and even a “Twelve year old Jesus.” That duty provided an outlet for her creativity and she was grateful for the opportunity. Later, she began to crochet as a pastime, and many were the beautiful works of art she crocheted for bazaars, benefactor gifts and other requests. She produced numerous afghans for various purposes over the years.
Throughout her life, Sister Janet Marie was guided by her favorite words of Mother Foundress: “Charity, charity, charity.” She was a person of simplicity and quiet goodness, one who tried to live her life faithfully and do her best in whatever she was asked to do. She had a great trust that God would bless her work and make it beneficial for all. Hers was indeed, a lifetime of daily fidelity and love.
Sister Janet Marie had a younger sister in the community, Sister Victoria, who was incapacitated and unable to communicate for many years. She loved her and cared for her with great concern and affection. Sister Janet Marie often times found this a difficult “cross” to carry and she prayed unceasingly for a happy death for “Vicki” so that her suffering would end. She indicated in her “Life Portrait” that she often prayed for a happy death for all who were dear to her.
Sister Janet Marie was called to God on December 19, 2002, at the age of eighty-four. Father Edmund Schreiber, chaplain at Nazarethville, officiated at her funeral on December 21, 2002. There must have been great rejoicing in heaven as she was re-united with her entire family who had gone before her into the eternal joys of the Kingdom of God.
Eternal rest grant to her, 0 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: October 2006