of the Child Jesus
(Janina Strzepek)
August 29, 1916 – August 7, 2004
Sacred Heart Province
Des Plaines, Illinois
“...united in the love of the Divine Heart, let us approach the crib of our Lord. To discern and heed the voice of the Christ Child, we must be souls of prayer, given to contemplation and recollection and immersed in God. ...” (Words of Mother Foundress).
Sister Janet Marie was born in Chicago, August 29, 1916. Janina was brought to Holy Innocents Church on September 12, and baptized into the family of God. She was the youngest of seven children born to Jacob and Antoinette (presnal) Strzepek. As a young child Sister Janet Marie recalled the loving care she received from her parents and older siblings. Home for Sister was a place filled with love, laughter, and music. Her father played the clarinet and her mother loved to sing and dance. Her father died when she was very young and her saintly mother raised her to know and love God. She would take her along to daily Mass and on Saturdays when she was allowed to sleep longer, her mother would wake her with a gentle kiss on her cheek from Jesus. Her love for the Child Jesus and her desire to enter religious life stemmed from her mother’s saintly example. Her sister, Sister Joan, a member of the Resurrection Order, also influenced sister’s vocation. Sister Janet Marie attended St. Hyacinth and St. Ladislaus schools. She responded to a call to Nazareth after eighth grade graduation, in 1935. She attended Holy Family Academy, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from DePaul University and a M.A. Ed from Marquette University.
Sister began her formation in Nazareth on July 16, 1936, when she was invested and received the name, Sister Mary Hedwig. She continued to develop a simple and joyful spirit as she pronounced her first vows on August 15, 1938. Her total and complete “Fiat” was pronounced on August 15, 1944, when she took “Child Jesus” as her mystery.
A gentle spirit and perpetual smile endeared her to everyone. Sister loved surprises, making others happy – often surprising them with a treat, a gift and special touch in decorating the convent. Somehow she obtained a recipe for the famous Fannie Mae’s “Heavenly Hash,” and would surprise the sisters by making a batch of this heavenly chocolate, nutty, marshmallow candy. (She took the secret recipe with her.) Her creative talents were shared and used to bring joy to others. She loved decorating the Chapel and the convent for holidays. The Sisters who lived with her remember her as a gentle, compassionate woman who was always ready to listen and serve. These qualities endeared her to the sisters and made her an understanding superior.
The ministry of teaching in the primary grades brought great satisfaction to her. She deemed it a great privilege to teach little children their prayers, prepare them to receive the Eucharist and experience God’s compassionate love in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Their inquisitive minds, eager spirits, and love for learning brought her great joy and challenged her to develop the art and skills that made her an excellent teacher. She ministered in schools throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago as teacher and as Principal at Our Lady of Hope and later at St. Patricia. She also taught at St. Mary’s, South Heart, North Dakota, St. Margaret Mary, Neenah, Wisconsin, and St. Thomas, Dallas, Texas.
While Sister was teaching at Immaculate Heart of Mary school she was diagnosed with cancer. She began to realize that God was calling her to the ministry of suffering. Although Sister continued to make every effort to continue her ministry, in June of 1994, Sister was transferred to Nazarethville where she could rest and receive the care needed to help her regain her strength. Her smile and joyful spirit brought happiness not only to the Sisters, but also to all the residents. She was gracious and gentle not only to others, but towards the God who placed this burden upon her.
Slowly her illness began to take its toll. She became frailer and spent more time in a wheelchair and in her room. Finally, Sister was confined to bed, but her spirit of love never faltered. She lived totally for Jesus, seeking her strength from the Child Jesus, the mystery on which she chose to model her life. On the evening of August 7, 2004, with the aged and infirm Sisters with whom she lived for the remaining 10 years of her life at her bedside, she quietly went home. Her daily night prayer was answered. “Jesus, Mary and Joseph, grant me a quiet, happy death.” In death, she lovingly followed the advice of Sister Lenore, her local superior, “Sister Janet Marie, take the hand of Jesus and let him take you home.” The evening of August 9, the Sisters, her family and friends came to say their final goodbye and celebrate the Mass of Resurrection for Sister Janet Marie. Those who gathered to pray for her recalled fond memories of their sister, teacher, and friend. Her eulogy, given by Sister Theresa Marie, in the absence of Sister Patricia Ann, was taken from her hand written “Portrait of Life.” It was the simple story of her life and her last words to her Nazareth Sisters and her family. “Live everyday as if it were your last. ...”
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: February 2006