Basilian Sisters celebrate jubilees

FOX CHASE MANOR, Pa. - The Sisters of St. Basil the Great, of the Jesus, Lover of Humanity Province, recently held a jubilee celebration honoring six sisters for their years of service and commitment to the Order. Sisters were honored for 60 and 70 years of service.

The Sisters of St. Basil the Great are located throughout the world. They came to Fox Chase in 1911 and for over 85 years have been doing missionary work and providing educational facilities for neighboring communities.

Two sisters celebrated 60 years of service.

• Sister Bernarda Arkatin, OSBM, was born in Chesapeake City, Md. and was a member of the St. Basil the Great Parish there. She entered the Basilian Order in June 1940 and professed in August 1943. Sister Bernarda served as principal in St. Nicholas Parish in Philadelphia and taught in Newark, N.J., Hamtramck, Mich., Chicago and Philadelphia. In 1995-1996 she served in the Philadelphia Ukrainian Archdiocese as promoter for the cause of the beatification of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky. Active in missionary work in Ukraine in service to children, Sister Bernarda currently resides at the St. Basil convent in Chesapeake City.
  
  
• Sister Leontia Burda, born in Gilberton, Pa., entered the order in January 1940 and professed in August 1943. Sister Leontia loves children and taught in Auburn and Syracuse, N.Y., Chicago, Hamtramck, Mich., Parma, Ohio, Jersey City, N.J., Olyphant and Northampton, Pa. Having retired in 1998, she now resides in the Motherhouse at Fox Chase Manor.

Four sisters celebrated 70 years of service.

• Sister Magdalene Komanowsky was born in Chester, Pa., and attended the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church there. She entered the order in August 1930 and professed in August 1933. Sister Magdalene taught in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, lllinois and Michigan, and spent many years as prefect to the boys at St. Basil Orphanage on Lindley Avenue in Philadelphia. While Sister Magdalene retired to the Motherhouse at Fox Chase Manor in 1990, she continued to teach religion at the Ukrainian School at the Ukrainian Cultural Center.
  
  
• Sister Sebastian Komanowsky was born in Chester, Pa., and attended Holy Ghost Ukrainian Catholic Church there. She entered the order in August 1930 and professed in August 1933. Sister Sebastian served in parish schools in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, lllinois and Ohio. She retired to the Motherhouse at Fox Chase in 1990, where she is very involved in handcrafts.
  
  
• Born in Ormrod, Pa., Sister Mary Macrina Goida attended St. John the Baptist Parish in Northampton, Pa. She entered the order in May 1930 and professed in August 1933. Sister Mary was missioned to parishes in New York, Maryland, lllinois, New Jersey and Washington.
  
  
• Sister Isidore Gilewitch entered the order in September 1930 and professed in August, 1933. She served in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Illinois. Sister Isidore became sacristan at the Motherhouse in 1982. Talented in the area of sewing and crafts, Sister Isidore sews vestments and altar linens.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, January 7, 2001, No. 1, Vol. LXIX

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