By Amanda Giarratano
It is truly a beautiful thing to see how the love of Nazareth shapes families. For Kathy Wyszynski, the mingling of her family history with that of our sisters got its start nearly a century ago and continues to this very day.
It all began in 1939 when Kathy’s parents, Dorothy and Richard Wyszynski, met in the first grade while attending St. John Cantius School in Philadelphia. There they were taught by many of the sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who were serving the parish and school. This early connection would come to be a lifelong relationship that would span generations, with these two young children having no idea of the journey their lives would take together.
While in high school, Dorothy and Richard briefly parted ways when Dorothy continued her education with our sisters at Nazareth Academy High School, an all-girls institution, while Richard went on to an all-boys high school. Among Dorothy’s classmates was Peggy Seigman, Mary Rosica, and the late Sister Jeanette Lawlor, who would go on not only to teach at St. John Cantius school but also serve as principal at Nazareth Academy, and later on, the Provincial Superior of Immaculate Conception Province, Philadelphia. But there was something special calling the Wyszynskis back to Nazareth.
Years later, Dorothy and Richard married and had four children of their own who were all born at Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia, the very hospital founded by our sisters. The young couple allowed their daughters to decide where they would attend high school, but for Kathy and her sisters, there was nowhere they felt at home but Nazareth Academy.
“Our parents had given us a choice as to where we wanted to go,” Kathy explained, “but when we all visited Nazareth and met with the sisters and staff, we all decided that it was the place for us. The 'sisterhood' of the school, the focus on an academic curriculum, the mission of the sisters, and the fact that my mother and two aunts had attended helped quite a bit in our decision.”
It was during her time as a Nazareth Academy student that Kathy became acquainted with many of the very sisters who had taught her own mother, including Sister Francesca Onley and Sister Flavia Wawrzynowicz, who taught Spanish language classes at Nazareth Academy for 20 years. She had even mistaken Kathy for her mother due to their great familial resemblance, calling her by her mother’s name more than once!
In her own words, Kathy’s connection to Nazareth “became more of a family affair” as the years passed, seeing her extended family continue the tradition of sending their children to Nazareth Academy with a maternal aunt becoming part of the Wesolowski family by marriage – and cousin to Sisters Regis and Loretta Wesolowski, and to Sister Maria Annette Mallen. While residing in Philadelphia, Kathy and her parents could also be found attending events at Mount Nazareth, including the Nazareth Academy High School Graduation in 2017 with Sister Maureen McGarrity and Sister Virginette Rypniewski, as well as the NAHS Alumnae Mass. Even years after graduating, Kathy still felt a draw towards giving back to Nazareth.
“I feel strongly that the educational and professional successes I have had throughout my career were due in part to the sisters and my time at Nazareth,” Kathy explained. “The sisters instilled a bit of confidence in me that I didn't have in myself and that carried me through my career.” Kathy went on to serve on the board at Nazareth Academy alongside both sisters who had taught her and sisters who had taught her parents as well.
Even after a move out of state that made continuing on the school board too difficult, Kathy has remained active within the Nazareth community by becoming the Class of 1977 Ambassador. It was a moment of great joy when in 2017, 40 years after her own graduation from Nazareth Academy, Kathy was able to present her niece, Paige, with her diploma.
It’s wonderful to see the impact that our sisters have had on the Wyszynski family throughout the years. They are one of the many families the sisters have served with a love that extends beyond one another to the community at large and for God. We cannot wait to see what the future brings for the Wyszynski family and for our sisters as they continue this journey of love, faith, and family together.
