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Isabelle Hupert was born April 22, 1933, in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of the late Kamil (Thomas) and Anna A. Wasik and had 2 brothers and 5 sisters.
Sister Celeste entered the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth on September 8, 1950, from St. Hyacinth Parish in Pittsburgh, PA, and made final vows on August 11, 1959.
She received her BS from Mt. Mercy College (now Carlow University) and her MSE from Duquesne University. Sister’s ministries were varied; she was an educator in elementary and secondary schools for many years in Pittsburgh, Ohio, and Michigan. Later, she served as Pastoral Minister at Saint Stanislaus in Cleveland, Ohio, and Miraculous Medal in Meadowlands, PA. Her last ministry was as Pastoral Assistant at Saint John the Baptist Byzantine Church in Pittsburgh, where she worked tirelessly alongside Rev. Thomas Shaeffer. She especially enjoyed her time with the Bible group she formed there.
In retirement, Sister accepted God’s plan for living, giving God her total “amen.” One way Sister Celeste continued to give of herself was by introducing music to the children at Mt. Nazareth Learning Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Her enthusiasm for teaching the preschoolers was boundless, to the point that she sometimes went overtime with the class. One day, one of the children got tired of singing and yelled, “Close your piano and go home.” Sister Celeste shared this comment with the sisters at their evening meal, and they all laughed and continued using the phrase for fun.
Sister Celeste spent time with the Holy Family Service Corps Volunteers to support their endeavors. Sister Michele Vincent Fisher shared one example of Sister Celeste’s self-giving. “I loved how she and her local community embraced our Service Corps volunteers and welcomed them for meals and activities, sharing with them such beautiful and joyful activities.”
The encounters Sister Celeste had with her caregivers became a special ministry as Sister aged and declined. Her presence with those individuals reflected her mystery,” the Mercy of God.” She heard their pain, hope, and fear and would respond with great compassion and a promise of prayer by herself and the sisters of the Province. She truly brightened many a day with her simple thinking of you messages when least expected.
Several of her nieces, along with the sisters, accompanied her in going home to her Merciful God. She died peacefully on March 11, 2026. The journey of life for Sister Celeste held both blessings and crosses. She knew and lived that journey close to her Merciful God.
