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Delores Platko’s pilgrimage in life began early morning on a snowy winter day of February 18, 1932, in Spangler, PA. Her simple living as a coal miner’s daughter was very uneventful. She was the eldest of three girls.
Delores was educated in her parish school until fourth grade and then attended public school. After high school graduation in 1951, she applied to a nursing program but was not accepted. She was also told that there was a spot on her lung. She needed to find a job, so she travelled to Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. After nine months away, she returned home for a check-up and the spot was gone. She was healed. It was suggested she try the radiology field to be an X-ray technician, so she applied to Mercy Hospital in Altoona, PA, which was staffed by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. There, she met a sister who oversaw the X-ray department and was invited to the provincialate to participate in an Investiture and Temporary Vows ceremony. On December 8, 1953, Delores entered the convent.
At her Investiture, she received the name “Laetitia” but later returned to her baptismal name. When she made her temporary vows, she was sent to Altoona for nursing school. After being evaluated, she was instead transferred to Detroit, MI, to pursue elementary education and ministered for 11 years. However, her heart led her back to the desire to go into hospital ministry, so in 1968, she returned to study radiology. She completed a two-year program and passed her registry exam. After working for some time in radiology, she was trained in nuclear medicine, a specialized department in radiology.
Sister ministered at Mercy Hospital for 30 years before being transferred in 2003 to the provincialate in Pittsburgh. Sister engaged in a variety of community services there until she retired in 2014 when she went to reside at Holy Family Manor in Pittsburgh.
In her retirement, she remained active, driving, gardening, and feeding the wildlife on the property. Sister remained faithful to her prayer life and her local community. She frequently mentioned the needs of God’s people aloud during the petitions at Mass as well in her personal prayer.
On January 25, 2025, after the Saturday Vigil Mass Sister was anointed once again and died an hour later. Her journey came to an end on a snowy winter evening.
