OBITUARIES: Sister Rose, SSMI, educator and administrator (03/11/01)

OBITUARIES

Sister Rose, SSMI, educator and administrator

SLOATSBURG, N.Y. - Sister Rose (Catherine Olisky), a member of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate for 63 years, passed away on January 24.

Sister Rose was born June 5, 1917, in Sayre, Pa., to Isidore and Anna (née Bubniak) Olisky, parishioners of Ascension of Our Lord Greek-Catholic Church in Sayre. Growing up in a family of three brothers (John, Michael, Samuel) and four sisters (Lena, Helen, Rose Olisky and Josephine Didiuk), Catherine attended the local grade school and high school.

As a young girl growing up in her home parish, Catherine realized there were many girls bearing the same first name as she. Thus, through her initiative, the St. Catherine's Society was established. As the years unfolded, others, not necessarily bearing the name of Catherine, began to join; it was only this past year that the organization dissolved itself due to a lack of members.

Sister Rose entered the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate in October 1938, traveling to Mundare, Alberta, for her novitiate training. It was just three years prior to that in 1935 that the Sisters Servants came to the United States, answering the request of the Metropolitan Constantine Bohachevsky. Sister Rose became a part of the first group of American sisters to enter the community which at the time was one province with Canada.

Sister Rose completed her novitiate formation, received her first vows and returned to the United States to begin her teaching ministry - her mission for the greater part of her religious life.

Her first mission was to Grades 2, 3 and 4 at St. Nicholas School in Passaic, N.J. Unknown to her, she would return again to become principal and teacher of Grades 7 and 8, not once, but on three other occasions.

In the ensuing years, Sister Rose would become a highly respected, well-loved educator in Ambridge, Minersville, Philadelphia, Shamokin and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Elizabeth and Passaic, N.J., Buffalo, N.Y., and the Sisters Servants' own St. Mary's Villa Academy, Sloatsburg, N.Y. Her last parish mission was in Syracuse, N.Y. Due to poor health, Sister Rose completed her ministry of teaching and returned to the Motherhouse in 1993.

Sister Rose earned a B.S. in education from Misericordia College, Dallas, Pa., and a master's degree in education from Seton Hall University, South Orange, N.J.

Utilizing the many talents she had been given, the community appointed Sister Rose to many areas of leadership throughout her religious life. For 10 years (1959-1969) she served as assistant to the provincial superior in the newly founded American Province of Sisters Servants in the U.S. For many years she held the title of principal, teacher and superior in many of the parishes to which she ministered. In 1986 she became pilgrimage moderator for the Holy Dormition (Assumption) Pilgrimage and held this position until her health began to decline in 1991. She also held the position of corresponding secretary on the National Board for the League of Ukrainian Catholics.

The thousands of children she taught will long remember the gentle and kind woman of tall stature who gave to the fullest, for she understood well the words of Jesus spoken in the gospel of Matthew, "Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." (Mt.19:14).

Parastas services were held at St. Mary's Villa chapel on January 26 by the Rev. Mitred John Terlecky of Stamford, Conn. Divine liturgy and Panahyda were offered the following day by Msgr. Terlecky and the Rev. Emil Paulshock. Sister Rose's body was taken to her home parish, Ascension of Our Lord in Sayre, for viewing and burial alongside her parents, brother Samuel and sister Helen on January 29.

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