It is no secret that immigrants have provided our nation with a strong and blessed support.  Our Sisters who emigrated from central Europe have contributed mightily not only by their spiritual presence but also by the works they have performed in convents, parishes, schools, hospitals, homes for the elderly and by their very presence which has brought joy and comfort to all with whom they came into contact.

If my calculations are correct, fifty-one Sisters have come to the U. S. to live fruitful lives and to minister to people who always proved to be thankful for their presence.

When starting out to tell the story of one of the immigrant Sisters, it is common to find a whole array of other individuals who play a significant role in her life.  The next sister in the series, Sister Emerita, is a splendid example of this.  Her story is filled with the many characters who influenced her life and whose lives were impacted by her singular personality and innate goodness.

• Sister Bernadette Marie Ondus, SSCM

Sister Emerita in Her Own Words

First let us look at “Sister Emerita in Her Own Words:”

A number of people influenced my decision to become a Sister; first of all, my parents by their good example and encouragement and then, my teachers at Holy Ghost School by their presence and support, especially Sisters Hermina, Catherine, Innocenta and her sister, Sister Aniceta who was only a postulant when she taught me. Sister Teresina was my model.

When I finished school, I worked in the kitchen at the IHM Motherhouse in Scranton. There I met with Sisters who witnessed to the holiness that can be achieved in religious life. I worked with Sister Emerita who even then was considered a living saint. As we worked, she recounted stories of the saints which later helped the novices in their religious studies classes. I was privileged to be at her 100th birthday celebration which was featured in THE IHM CONNECTION Summer 2003. One photo shows Sister blowing out the candles on her cake, and there I am by her side.

The other Sister was Mother Cyril who figures prominently in our history. One day she said to me, “Theresa, I believe you have a vocation to religious life. Today Mother Emerentia (At that time Mother Emerentia was the General Superior) is coming here on business, and I would like you to talk with her.” I am grateful to Mother Cyril whose wisdom and insight gave me the impetus to take the necessary steps to become a Sister. I would never have approached Mother Emerita on my own the day she came to Mount St. Mary’s.

Sister Alphonsine who was superior and principal at Holy Ghost assisted me in preparing for my entrance into the novitiate in Danville. For two years in the novitiate the Directress of Novices was the kind and understanding Sister Joachim who kept up our spirits with her cheerful, good-natured disposition. On Reception Day I received the white veil of a novice and the name of a trusted mentor, Sister Emerita, I.H.M.

Except for the eight years I spent in several local convents, I was missioned in Danville for most of my religious life. My claim to fame is providing the Sisters with tasty baked goods, like bread and buns for Sunday breakfast. I heard many compliments, too, when I served my specialties, sticky buns, raised doughnuts, and rhubarb and shoofly pies.

I’ll let my sister Helen tell you more about me and about the family that lives near her in Olyphant, PA, and the significant part they played in my life.

Helen Shares Stories of Her Sister

My sister Theresa was born in Turiany in what was then called Czechoslovakia on July 5, 1920. She used to say there were fireworks at the time and then she laughed because, of course, it was only the U.S. that used fireworks. Just think. She would be a hundred years old this year!

Theresa was five years old when our dad sent for our mother and our younger brother John who was two. He had been living in Hazleton, PA, with family and working as a coal miner. It took him two years to save enough money to get them passage on a boat which was leaving in August from Germany (1924 or 1925). They probably took a train to Germany to get on the boat. Because it was discovered that there was an error on Mother’s passport, they had to return to Czechoslovakia. When they learned the error was straightened out, they returned to Germany to board a ship scheduled to leave on Christmas Eve.

The ship was very crowded and the weather was damp and foggy, all contributing to Mom getting a bad cold. She had to remain in bed most of the time. Someone who worked on the ship (a porter?) took care of the children.

One day it was discovered Theresa was missing and no one knew where she was (Theresa was a rather mischievous child). They searched all over for her and finally discovered her under the Christmas tree. After they met up with Dad in Hazleton, the family remained there a few years and later moved to Dunmore, PA, where they lived on Sherwood Street. The park on that street is called Sherwood Park. Later they moved to Olyphant where I still live.

Becoming a Sister of SS Cyril & Methodius

While living in Olyphant, Theresa and her family were members of Holy Ghost parish, and Theresa belonged to the church’s Sodality (an organization in which the laity assist the priest in charitable and apostolic works). One day she told them she was planning to become a Sister of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Theresa was well-known for telling humorous stories but was serious about her future plans. The other sodalists laughed when she told them what she had in mind. “We give you two weeks,” they said. Of course she proved them wrong and celebrated 63 years in religious life. She entered on March 28, 1943, during the Second World War with only three other postulants, Sister Gerard, who became the community photographer, Sister Josita whose sister, Sister DeLourdes also became an SSCM, and Sister Michaeline, who celebrated her 100th birthday in May 2020.

It was customary for a pastor to write a letter of recommendation to the superior of the congregation. Father Edward A. Bellas, pastor of Holy Ghost parish in Olyphant, wrote the following in a letter to Mother Emerentia: “… it was our pleasure to note her talents and qualifications…..she is morally fit and I believe, physically capable. She is one of our exemplary young Catholic ladies.”

Many beneficiaries of her life of prayer and service can be found to attest to Sister Emerita’s life of prayer and service. She took seriously every request for prayer for anyone in need. The most memorable story and the one that shows without a doubt her compassionate nature and her willingness to help a family in distress focuses on the Caines family of Olyphant who live near her sister Helen. It was Helen who told Sr. Emerita about Ellen and Kevin and their new baby Johnny. When he was 87 days old he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Chance of survival– 25%. One night early in April Baby Johnny and his mom, Ellen, were driven by ambulance to the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital in Danville. Several days later Johnny had his first chemotherapy, the beginning of a long journey to wellness. As they neared GMC Ellen remembers passing a long wall which she thought at the time encircled a cemetery. What was behind the wall she later found out was the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius which figures prominently in this story.

At that time I was in the Clinical Pastoral Education Program at Geisinger and having heard the story of Johnny I also went to see him. I’ll never forget that small baby in a large crib and the green binder containing the entire program for chemotherapy. On Easter evening Sister Emerita, Paracleta and I went to visit at Janet Weis. When we learned the family had gone to St. Joseph Church in town for Mass, Sister Paracleta invited them to attend Mass at the Basilica and have breakfast with the Sisters. Ellen, Kevin and Matthew who was then three-and-a-half, did come each Sunday and stayed for breakfast. The Sisters, of course, were delighted to have them and made a big fuss over Matthew.

Ellen believes we went to visit even more than once a week. Sister Emerita, always happy to see Johnny, liked to push him in the stroller. She said she felt like his grandmother. Sister Marcellina, a Philadelphia native, had relics of the fourth bishop of Philadelphia, St John Neumann, whose intercession we implored. Sister Jean Marie’s friend told her about Padre Pio and his miraculous cures. Johnny’s family took him to Barto, PA, the site of the National Centre for Padre Pio near Allentown, PA. There Ellen insisted that he be wrapped in Padre Pio’s shawl. He cried pitifully, but, according to Ellen, his subsequent chemo treatments were not as devastating as the previous ones. Sister Emerita once said, though, that we do not know what saint deserves the credit for Johnny’s cure because we prayed to so many saints.

Ellen is especially grateful to Sister Emerita for helping her survive the ordeal and keeping her sanity. Emmy, as she is lovingly called by Ellen, is thankful to Sister for providing the family with whatever help they needed. Emmy even gave Ellen her new pajamas when she had to stay overnight in Danville unexpectedly. We also let Ellen keep her recliner at the Motherhouse between visits to the hospital. One time when the family visited, Ellen was changing Johnny in one of the rooms on our ground floor. For some reason, he kept crying and crying. Sisters Paracleta, Emerita and I came in and sang Slovak Christmas carols and he promptly fell asleep. Johnny was in the hospital from April 8, 2000 to June 30, 2001, with a few days’ respite on occasion when he was able to go home briefly. The twenty-seven months of chemotherapy ended on July 5, 2002, Sister Emerita’s birthday.

John Caines is now 20 years old, a sophomore at Keystone College taking Sports Management as a major and Business as a minor. We trust that Sister Emerita is looking down from heaven on him and his parents, Ellen and Kevin. The Sisters at the Motherhouse still enjoy having visits from the Caines and their sons Matthew and John. The family is dedicated to our projects, such as our Summer Festival and the yearly raffle. Ellen’s sister Rosalie is another person who deserves our thanks for selling great numbers of raffle tickets.

Sister Emerita died on March 20, 2009, at Emmanuel Center and her funeral was celebrated on March 23, in the Basilica by Father Gerard Heintzelman, celebrant and homilist, with Father Lawrence Nwabueze, O.P. as concelebrant.

When Sister Emerita celebrated fifty years as a Sister, she gave the following advice in the Jubilee booklet to those contemplating religious life, “Perform your daily duties well, but above all, stay close to God by being constant in prayer.” As proven by her story in this article she followed her advice to the letter.

Sister Emerita Shares Her Recipes. Click here to view the recipes.