Had you met Sr. Maria Teresa Jasionowicz in her later years, you might never have known the hardships she suffered as a child. With a kind smile and a deep-seated love of Nazareth, Sr. Maria Teresa was a pillar of strength for many young Sisters as they entered novitiate. Her devotion never wavered, even being elected Superior General in 1992 and using her time in this position to fill whatever needs in the Congregation that she could. There was a generosity of spirit about her that was infectious, perhaps instilled in her by those early days of strife.
As a child in Poland during wartime, Sr. Maria Teresa and her family faced the horrors of war head-on. Her father was injured in fighting and kept away from the family for some time; Sr. Maria, her mother, and siblings were forcibly deported to the frigid wastes of Siberia, leaving behind all of the comfort and familiarity they had once known to embark on a horrific weeks-long journey into a life of struggle.
During the harrowing train journey, young Sr. Maria Teresa saw those who died along the route tossed from the train like rubbish. She witnessed the hopelessness among her people as they huddled together in the cold and saw her mother work her fingers to the bone in the gold mines near where they were finally settled.
But she also saw her new community gather together in prayer. She saw her mother attempt to intervene on behalf of a boy being sent away to prison for listening to a radio. When she and her siblings heard her seriously ill mother plead for milk, they went from door to door to beg for this small comfort for her – eventually happening upon a kindly Russian woman who took pity on them and gave them a small portion, though their mother’s illness prevented her from drinking it. She met a kindly rail worker who shared bread with her starving family, and a young mother who gave of what little wheat porridge she had managed to scrounge for her own children to Sr. Maria Teresa and her sister, so that they too might have something in their bellies on a cold Christmas Eve.
Sr. Maria Teresa made no headlines in her lifetime. She was not lauded by those she met, and she only shared the hardships she experienced so that others might witness the presence of God in her life in even the most difficult times. In spite of all that she had been through, what she took away from it was the innate kindness and generosity of spirit that is part of the very soul of Nazareth. All of our Sisters continue to live by this basic tenet of recognizing God in the everyday, even on our darkest days.
As we reflect on the enduring strength and spirit of Sisters like Sr. Maria Teresa, we ask you to consider a gift this Giving Tuesday to help us continue the mission that she and so many others dedicated their lives to. Your support will allow us to provide for the needs of the Sisters, support vocations, and sustain the works of compassion that have been at the heart of our Congregation for generations.
Mark your calendars for this year’s Giving Tuesday: December 2!
