From her earliest days in ministry, Sister Teresa Mary Lukaszewski, or as she is commonly known as “Sister Teri,” has had a special place in her heart for the poor and the marginalized. When Sister was first assigned to Nazareth Academy High School, a CSFN sponsored ministry in Philadelphia, she was asked to take on the responsibility of moderator of the Community Service Corp or CSC in addition to teaching math. Among its numerous activities, the group did outreach to the poor and homeless of Philadelphia through St. Francis Inn, a Franciscan ministry in the Kensington neighborhood. Each month, Sister Teri and the girls would make the half-hour trip by school van to the Inn where they would assist in serving meals to the “guests”: homeless men and women seeking a hot meal, senior citizens struggling to make ends meet until their next Social Security check and families dealing with food insecurity. More than just serving food, this ministry provided an opportunity to affirm the value of each person despite their economic circumstances and to remind them that they were beloved children of God.
A chance encounter with Sister Connie Trainor, SSJ during a retreat six years ago introduced Sister Teri to the Sisters of St. Joseph Welcome Center, located near the corner of Kensington and East Allegheny Avenues. This ministry, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, is focused on educating and serving Philadelphia’s immigrant community. The immigrants assisted by the Center are from a wide variety of countries: the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Egypt, Chile, Venezuela, Vietnam, Poland, Morocco, Nicaragua, Albania, Haiti, Columbia, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Palestine and Guinea. The Center offers English, computer literacy and citizenship classes for both documented and undocumented immigrants. Although not trained as an ESL instructor, Sister Teri commented that the skills needed in teaching high school students were readily transferrable to educating the Center’s clients. Sister also has experience in ministering to persons for whom English is a second language at Nazareth Academy through her responsibility in addressing the needs of the international students.
Sister Teri noted that a command of English is essential for immigrants to find a better job. The Center has a computer lab to assist clients in gaining computer and job training skills, which also are crucial to employment and job advancement. The computer lab was funded through a grant from our Nazareth Family Foundation. Prior to the COVID pandemic, Sister Camille Kwiatek CSFN served as a volunteer at the Center, teaching ESL classes. The Nazareth presence is evident and vibrant in this ministry and will continue to be so. After serving eight years as director of the Welcome Center, Sister Kathleen McShane SSJ recently stepped down from her position. Ms. Olivia Sharkey, a graduate of Nazareth Academy High School, assumed leadership as the new Executive Director.
The Center is an oasis of trust and the demand for the services provided by the Center is great. Forty Literacy classes and twenty Citizenship classes are currently being offered this Fall. These include both in-person and online classes. Despite a full day at Nazareth Academy High School teaching Math in the Academic Enrichment Program among other duties, Sister Teri brings equal energy and enthusiasm to this ministry. Sister commented that in working with the immigrant population she “receives more than she gives.” Initially Sister Teri taught on Tuesday evenings but presently teaches on Tuesday and Thursday evenings via Zoom. The online option benefits those clients who are fearful of traveling by night to the high crime area where the Welcome Center is located or who are hampered by employment or family obligations.
Adjacent to the Welcome Center is Mother of Mercy House (MOMH), another ministry to the marginalized population in the Kensington neighborhood. Initially founded by two archdiocesan priests and an Immaculate Heart of Mary Sister, the mission of MOMH is to “share the mercy of God with our neighbors through prayer and sacraments, counseling and support, food and clothing assistance, family programs, and most of all, by being a simple, safe, secure and steadfast Christian presence in our community.”
Our Nazareth congregation has played a supportive role in this ministry, particularly in addressing food insecurities. Monthly, our retired Sisters at Mount Nazareth in Philadelphia prepare 50 bag lunches for distribution by the MOMH staff. Included with each lunch is a note of encouragement written in English and in Spanish, given the large Hispanic client population in the area. The Sisters at Delaney Hall (Holy Family University) regularly provide non-perishable food items for the MOMH food pantry. For the past four years the University’s Family Center provides $100 Walmart gift cards monthly to seven immigrant families to supplement their needs.
