of the Christ Child
(Helen Kurcz)
October 10, 1912 – February 19, 2004
Sacred Heart Province
Des Plaines, Illinois
“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 M. Maureen was born on October 10, 1912, one of the eight children of Valerie (Zola) and Joseph Kurcz. Her father came from Austria and settled originally in Joliet where there were many immigrants at the time. At the age of nineteen, her mother emigrated from Poland, met her father and they married. After he had obtained a job at the Argo Corn Starch Company, still in existence, the family moved to Summit, Illinois. It was here that their third daughter was born and given the name of Helen when she was baptized at St. Joseph Church. The three eldest daughters all followed the call to religious life as Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Sister Infanta, the eldest daughter, and Sister Amalia, both preceded Sister Maureen in death. In addition to the three daughters who entered religious life, there were four more daughters and one son, who married and provided the three religious Sisters with numerous nieces and nephews. Theirs was a close-knit family known to gather regularly for parties, picnics and special occasions.
Sister Maureen received her elementary education at St. Blase School in Argo. She attended Argo High School for a while and enjoyed sports and dancing. At the age of sixteen she followed her two sisters into religious life on November 1, 1928. Following her novitiate, she professed First Vows on January 6, 1932, and began her teaching career which was to last for the next seventy years. During those years, Sister Maureen taught at Assumption BVM, St. Francis, St. Adalbert, St. Susanna, St. Michael, and St. Ann Schools in the Chicago area and at St. Stanislaus School in Kankakee, Illinois. Sister served in Indiana also – as the principal and local superior at St. Adalbert School in Whiting, and as a teacher at St. Stanislaus in South Bend.
While being a very dedicated teacher, Sister Maureen pursued her own studies attending De Paul University, and Holy Family Teacher Training School, which was affiliated with the Catholic University of America. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from DePaul University and a Master’s Degree in Religious Education from St. Meinrad University. After obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree, Sister Maureen continued to update herself by taking courses at De Lourdes College in Des Plaines. She also took courses at Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa, at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in preparation for various roles she undertook during the course of her teaching career.
In 1970 Sister Maureen was assigned to St. Patricia School in Hickory Hills, Illinois, where she served not only as a teacher, but in various other capacities as well. Mid-way during her time at St. Patricia’s, Sister Maureen was elected to serve as the local superior, another responsibility she faithfully-carried out. Besides full-time teaching in the classroom, Sister Maureen also trained the altar boys and later the girls as well. Her dedication to this task was evident at the time of her funeral, as the servers she had trained formed the honor guard to welcome her back to St. Patricia’s for her wake and funeral. Sister Maureen also utilized her special background in religious education, not only by teaching CCD classes, but also in preparing CCD teachers for their classes. In 1992, still going strong at the age of eighty, Sister Maureen continued in her capacity as teacher in the Reading Lab in the school, a position she continued in for the next ten years.
During these many years of service in one community, Sister Maureen became a legend at St. Patricia Church and School having spent nearly thirty-three years with the People of God in Hickory Hills. She was a no-nonsense, but gentle educator. When she “laid down the law,” she expected her students to abide by it, and she quickly gained their love and respect. She liked things done “just so” and was able to instill in others that drive for excellence. Teaching was in Sister Maureen’s blood as evidenced by the amount of time she spent in this capacity. In her long years as a teacher, Sister Maureen was not just passing on the mechanics of learning, she was imbuing in her students that which gave her life meaning and purpose and passion.
At home in the convent, she loved to cook and bake, to clean and decorate, and to shop. She had an adventurous spirit, and would try anything. Because Sister Maureen was a person of quiet goodness – there was nothing overly dramatic about her life. Her simple kindness, interest in other’s joys and sorrows, her special knack for making one feel loved, and her energetic spirit endeared her to the hearts of many. In her own humble way, she had an immense impact on the life of hundreds, probably thousands of people. She lived her religious life fully and deeply, drawing from the abundance of God’s love and goodness and in so doing, she witnessed the joy that can be found in serving God. On November 1, 2003, she had marked seventy-five years in the Community.
One Sister described her as a most helpful, sensible, prayerful and lovable person, never missing an opportunity to help others in need. Another noted that she had a wonderful sisterly relationship with her own sibling, Sister Infanta, one that spoke of a deep love and respect for her elder sister. Their other sister, Sister Amalia was not blessed with a long life and had died many years earlier.
At the beginning of 2003 it became necessary to transfer Sister Maureen to Nazarethville, although this was not in her plans. Her memory began to fail and she could no longer be left alone, nor was she totally able to care for herself. It was a difficult time for her, but as the year progressed it was evident that this move was made with the best interests of Sister Maureen in mind. Physically and mentally her health and well-being declined rapidly and she began her final journey. Less than a year after being transferred to Nazarethville, Sister Maureen was called to her final home on December 6, 2003, after a very long and fruitful life of ninety-one years.
Sister Maureen passed away peacefully at Nazarethville on December 6, 2003, the feast of St. Nicholas, an appropriate date for one who had chosen as her mystery of vows, the Christ Child. Earlier her family had been to visit and to bid farewell to their last remaining Nazareth Sister. Because she had only recently been transferred from St. Patricia Convent, it seemed appropriate that her funeral be held at St. Patricia Church.
After a wake service at Nazarethville and at the Provincialate, her remains were transferred to St. Patricia’s where she was greeted by the student body, with the altar servers forming an honor guard of welcome as she was brought into the church. The Associate Pastor, Father Darrio Boscutti, led the student body in a memorial service. Throughout the afternoon and early evening, relatives, parishioners, current and former students of St. Patricia School, as well as friends and some of the Sisters and former CSFN members came to the church to pay their last respects. In the evening, a second memorial service was conducted by Father Joseph Moll, a resident at St. Patricia Parish. The principal, Mr. Robert Smith, gave a beautiful reflection on Sister Maureen’s life at St. Patricia’s.
Father Gerald Mulcahy, Pastor, was out of town and managed to get an earlier return flight despite the inclement weather so that he could be present for the funeral. Upon his return he prepared a special memorial card listing all of the important dates in the life of Sister Maureen as well as the parishes in which she had served. These were ready for distribution at the Funeral Mass in the morning. Father Mulcahy, Father Boscutti, and Father Moll concelebrated the Funeral Liturgy for Sister Maureen on the morning of December 10th. The presence of so many people at the wake and funeral was a beautiful testimony to the love and affection felt for Sister Maureen. Father Mulcahy spoke highly of Sister Maureen in gratitude for all she had been and accomplished at St. Patricia Parish. Additional reflections were offered at the end of the liturgy, after which two roses were placed on her coffin as a final gesture of love and affection – one representing her Community and one, placed by her brother, representing her much loved family.
Following the liturgy, a luncheon was served in the parish hall, before Sister Maureen’s body was taken to St. Adalbert Cemetery in Chicago, where she was buried next to her two sisters, Infanta and Amalia. She is at rest now, assured of the prayers of those who were grateful for having passed her way, with many memories etched in their hearts during the course of nine decades. Thank you Sister, for walking with us.
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