For generations, they taught toddlers their colors and held the hands of the terminally ill as they took their last breaths. In Livonia, they founded Madonna University, a Montessori school, St. Mary Child Care Center, Angela Hospice, and Marywood Nursing Care Center, as well as the all-female Ladywood High School, which closed as a result of declining enrollment in 2018. Sister Mary Estelle Printz, 95, was a Detroit native. More: How to run a primary in a pandemic: Michigan clerks get a crash course, More: Michigan adds 426 coronavirus cases Sunday with no new deaths. The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province was transferred to Detroit in 1882. This is a test to see whether we can improve the experience for you. Death Came when Holy Communion Stopped Thirteen Felician sisters were killed after coronavirus swept “like a wildfire” through Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Livonia, Michigan. Now there are only 44. You will only see an accurate ballot if you enter your full address. Contributions can be made online or by calling 248-204-0332. So far, there have been more than nine thousand dollars in donations and we are told no one is more appreciative than the Felician Sisters. The sisters who died range in age from 69 to 99. Before April, there were 57 sisters living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. It's OK to disagree with someone's ideas, but personal attacks, insults, threats, hate speech, advocating violence and other violations can result in a ban. In July, 13 religious sisters, who ranged in age from 69 to 99 and who lived, prayed and worked together at a Michigan convent, died in a matter of weeks. Sister Danatha Suchyta, 98, a Detroit native, was a member of the Felician Congregation for 80 years. Welcome to our new and improved comments, which are for subscribers only. The sisters were part of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Livonia, Mich., located about 20 miles west of Detroit, which had another 17 sisters who caught the virus, but recovered. That likely led to the deaths of 13 elderly sisters at a Livonia convent. Now a local Catholic organization is stepping up to help them. She died on April 21, 2020. They run Madonna University. Sister Mary Patricia DETROIT – Sister Mary Patricia, Cecilia Pyszynski, of Detroit, Michigan, completed her life’s journey of 93 years on April 17, 2020 in Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent, Livonia, Michigan. “I get chills thinking about that,” Sr. Mary Andrew Budinski, the superior of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Livonia, where the women lived communally, said in the report. Before the pandemic, 57 sisters were living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent. The deaths came several months after 13 sisters died of Covid-19 at a Michigan convent, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Livonia, about 20 miles west of Detroit. That's down to 44, with five international students from other congregations staying with … They're always saying, 'What can we provide the community?' But that is commonly shortened to just Felician sisters. That's what hits home. There have been more than 80,000 coronavirus cases in Michigan and nearly 6,200 deaths. To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs. COVID-19 has led to the deaths of 13 nuns at a convent in Livonia in the last three months, religious officials report. Typed comments will be lost if you are not logged in. The sisters, aged 69 to 99, were all part of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Livonia, Michigan. Union of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "You have this group of women who are called by God to serve," Wallander said, adding that they believe God will provide what they need. Of those, 13 died, including one who recovered, but then relapsed. A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. ", This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, 30 nuns — more than half of the 57 living together in their Livonia convent — have come down with COVID-19. Thirteen Felician sisters in The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia, Michigan died from COVID-19, a recent report reveals. “The raw grief is yet to come, I think.” In June, a … As Zervos watched the butterfly open and close its wings, she realized they were blue and gold, Madonna University's school colors. Before April, there were 57 sisters living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. "They are just so touched that they've impacted people's lives in a way that they are remembering them," Wallander said. She sent the Catholic order a donation, brought flowers to the sisters' graves at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Southfield and kneeled down to pray for the repose of their souls. According to the North American Felicians, at least seven of the sisters — whose average age was 85 — had contracted COVID-19. She died on May 10, 2020. LIVONIA, Mich. (FOX 2) - There has been an outpouring of support for the Livonia group of religious sisters that has lost 13 members to the coronavirus. You do not need a Facebook profile to participate. The group lost 12 nuns over the course of a month from April 10 to May 10. "That is such a great gift. She died on April 28, 2020. Our Vision. And in the end, she added, they sacrificed their lives for others. "Whether we have been affected directly or personally by this pandemic, we all want to see good in the world, we all want to see something better," Moloney said. "Their whole lives were devoted not to themselves but others. To help, the Catholic Foundation set up a fund, hoping to raise a $100,000, which, the creators said, could go a long way to help care for the sisters and, if invested, generate $5,000 to $10,000 a year for them. She died April 26, 2020. And the funds they need to continue are so important. To limit any further spread of the deadly virus, Wallander said, the sisters are mostly isolated and quarantined in the convent and allowed few visitors, not even family have been permitted to go inside. ", "These women have sacrificed their wants and needs for the greater community," Moloney said. "I get chills thinking about that," said Sister Mary Andrew Budinski, superior of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Livonia, where the women had lived, according to the Global Sisters Report. By the order’s count, there are now only 469 sisters living in 60 convents in North America. © 2020 www.freep.com. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. One donor — who gave $25 and identified himself in the note as a "gay, Jewish man living in L.A." and "probably not your typical supporter" — said he wanted to help because his heart hurt for the pain the sisters have endured. Of those, 13 died of the disease, including one who recovered, but then relapsed. Don’t forget your ‘vaccine passport’, MISSING PERSON: 34-year-old Jennifer Blackmon, Ohio State study: 30% of student athletes have heart damage linked to COVID-19. They ranged in age from 69 to 99. Mary Andrew Budinski, local minister at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia, Michigan, accepted the check on behalf of her community. And it is who they were, selfless women of faith, who catered to and comforted people in their community. Wallander said she recently had permission to deliver a box of potato chips packages that a donor had given them, and the sisters were so excited to receive the treats, "you would have thought I brought them bags of gold.". There has been an outpouring of support for the Livonia group of religious sisters that has lost 13 members to the coronavirus. Now there are only 44. In 1937, Madonna University (then known as Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Junior College) was established by Mother Mary DeSales Tocka and her council in the Felician Central Convent in Livonia, with a first year enrollment of 18 Sisters. "They've given up the material stuff that the rest of us take for granted. Sister Victoria Marie Indyk, 69, entered the Felician community after high school graduation in 1969 and professed final vows in 1978. They've given up relationships.". Beginning in the 1930s, the sisters founded schools and hospitals in Livonia, when the Detroit suburb was just a small town and farms. ", Moloney, who started to cry as she remembered the sisters who died, said that to her, their story is not just a Catholic story, but a personal one because "it could have been any of us: Our sister, our mom, our aunt, ourselves. (Photo: Felician Sisters of North America). Sister Mary Martinez Rozek, 87, from Chicago, formally joined the sisters, professing final vows in 1957. Sister Celine Marie Lesinski, 92, a native of Detroit, was a Felician for 71 years. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press). (Photo: Felician Sisters of North America), The Catholic Foundation of Michigan has set up a fund to support of the sisters, including burial expenses, the costs of care, sanitizing, and protective equipment. Sister Mary Janice Zolkowski, 86, joined the Felicians in 1951, taking final vows in 1959. You will need to register before adding a comment. She oversaw nurses at the convent and in 1997 joined the nursing faculty at Madonna University, where she was professor in the nursing department until her death. When the Felician Sisters established the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in 1936, Livonia was just a small town of farm fields outside of Detroit. Please be polite. Sr. Mary Martinez (Virginia) Rozek, CSSF, of Chicago, age 87, religious 70 years, died April 28, 2020, in Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. The convent, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Livonia, about 20 miles west of Detroit, also has another 17 sisters who had the disease caused by the coronavirus but recovered. The Free Press asked candidates in most of the contested races in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne Counties questions about a host of issues. The money would go to support their charitable work, but also their needs like facemasks, gloves, medication, funerals, and caregivers as they work to recover from the virus. Moreover, about a third of these deaths have been linked to the state's nursing homes. Blessed Mary Angela, Foundress Chapel (1936) of the Felician Sisters in Livonia, Michigan. She died on April 20, 2020. She added they are grateful for whatever anyone has sent. She died on April 10, 2020. Supporters nationwide -- from Arizona, California, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas — and Washington D.C. -- have sent emails of support for the Felician Sisters in Livonia. Sister was in religious life for 75 years. "The raw grief is yet to come." Presentation Sisters Union. Sister Mary Patricia Pyszynski, 93, was a Detroit native and an educator for 60 years. When Lisa Zervos heard 13 religious sisters living together in a Livonia convent died of coronavirus, she felt heartbroken. Sister Mary Luiza Wawrzyniak, 99, a native of South Bend, Indiana, was a Felician sister for 80 years. 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May 4, 2020 May Crowning in Livonia, Michigan On Friday, May 1, during the daily video-broadcast of announcements from Holy Family Chapel in Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent to the Sisters quarantined in their rooms, the annual May Crowning was held. "They are so self-sacrificing, they never think of themselves first. A convent, orphanage, and Felician Academy, an all-girl high school, were all housed in the same building. As an international Congregation our vision, like Nano’s, reaches beyond our local situations and has a global consciousness and outreach. Coronavirus devastates a Livonia convent, but even in death, nuns inspir... Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/08/03/livonia-nuns-convent-coronavirus-catholic-felician-sisters/5544097002/. August 6, 2020. Religious sisters who dedicated their lives to the care of others are now in need of support, and Michiganders like Zervos, and many from as far away as Norway, are offering sympathy notes and donations. They came at the request of a priest who was concerned children needed more educational opportunities. Before April, there were 57 sisters living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. "These were women who are just beyond sisters and your average women, they were leaders, entrepreneurs, and trailblazers," said Marcia Wallander. "When we saw the heartbreaking story of the Felician Sisters, we know the great work they do in the community, the self-sacrifice,  the giving and the shining light that these women are in our community and we wanted to be there of support," said Angela Moloney. Enter your address to see what the candidates on your ballot had to say, from U.S. Senate to your local school board. Wallander is the director of development for the Felician Sisters, based in Pittsburgh, but came to Michigan to help care for the religious sisters while they were in isolation. She was a nurse at St. Mary Hospital in Livonia and St. Francis Home for the Aged in Saginaw. Come and see the joy we have presenting Christ to others through education, service to the poor, children with autism, children with special educational needs, … Sister Rose Mary Wolak, 86, she formally joined the Felicians in 1955, pronouncing final vows in 1963. On top of the challenges of raising money for the charitable work they do for others, the aging sisters also face the costs of funerals, extra face masks, and gloves to keep them safe, and hot meals, medicine, and caregivers as they recover from the virus. Let friends in your social network know what you are reading about. She died April 12, 2020. Contributions can be, How to run a primary in a pandemic: Michigan clerks get a crash course, Michigan adds 426 coronavirus cases Sunday with no new deaths, Dearborn Heights Mayor Dan Paletko dies of COVID-19, Republicans: Whitmer veto puts extension of jobless benefits at risk, 4 charged in Warren police 'deadly drug cell' bust, Replay: Whitmer update on COVID-19 response, Census estimates show Michigan likely to lose Congressional seat, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "If you look at our website it is pictures of the sisters hugging touching and being with people because they don't want and one to feel alone, feel hungry, afraid or not educated," Wallander said. LIVONIA, Mich. — A convent outside of Detroit has lost 13 nuns to the coronavirus, 12 of them died in one month, according to CNN and The New York Times. The sisters who died range in age from 69 to 99. The Catholic Foundation of Michigan has set up a fund to support of the sisters, including burial expenses, the costs of care, sanitizing, and protective equipment. At St. Joseph Convent in Jackson, she served as administrative assistant to the local minister, local vicar and organist prior to moving to Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia, where she served as local vicar and organist for Holy Family Chapel. She died on April 17, 2020. We are active, apostolic, Catholic religious women participating in the mission of Jesus in the United States of America. "They are reluctant to say they need anything," said Angela Moloney, president and CEO of the Catholic Foundation, who was moved to tears as she talked about the sisters. The Sisters at Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia, MI, received a little bit of spring joy this week when the staff brought them some flowers to cheer up their rooms. "Jesus assures us, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.' The deaths, which have garnered national attention, are a reminder of how vulnerable the elderly are to the virus and the challenges of living close together in independent living facilities and nursing homes. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press). But a beautiful, little butterfly began flitting in the sunlight about among the headstones. "They have such strong faith that they're joyous in their sisters passing on into eternal life.". She died on April 25, 2020. The nuns took vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty — and, some say, an unofficial vow of humility. The sisters, aged 69 to 99, were all part of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Livonia, Michigan. Before the pandemic, 57 sisters were living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent. Zervos — who attended Madonna University and has a teenage daughter who she hopes to enroll there next year — said that something sweet happened at the cemetery while she was praying. "I was so sorry they suffered, and I know there are some sisters are still ill," Zervos, 52, of Northville, said. She died on April 15, 2020. She died on April 22, 2020. Before April, there were 57 sisters living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. She died on April 12, 2020. Sister Mary Alice Ann (Fernanda) Gradowski, 73, entered the Felicians in 1964, professing final vows in 1973. That’s who they were.". Madonna University instituted master's-level programs in 1982 and became a university in 1991. Thirteen Felician sisters at a Michigan convent have died from COVID-19, 12 in a one-month span, and another six weeks later.All 13 who died had been members for at least 50 years. The third of three children of Aloysius and Clara (Pletzki), Virginia was born on Nov. 20, 1932, and baptized at St. Joseph Church in Chicago. They established a motherhouse directly across the street from St. Albertus Church, the first Polish-American parish in the area. She said it was likely more coincidental, than miraculous. But since the coronavirus pandemic began, 30 nuns — more than half of the nuns living together in their Livonia convent — have come down with COVID-19. She began her journey as a Felician Sister in 1946, professing her final vows in 1954. Response to Love Center Receives Two Gifts in Support of Efforts Follow Michael Gryboski on Twitter or Facebook Before April, there were 57 sisters living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. She died on April 26. Moloney says they are trying to raise $100,000 for the aging sisters. The Felician Sisters are an incredible group of women who have helped shape social services here and across the country. At least 13 nuns from a single convent in Livonia, ... the Detroit Catholic news service reported that as many as 22 sisters at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in … Welcome to the Detroit Free Press 2020 Voter Guide. Sister Mary Clarence (Adeline) Borkoski, 83, was an educator for 48 years and had been taught by the Felician Sisters when she was in elementary school. Additionally, 17 other sisters in the convent contracted the virus and recovered. View our Youtube channel. A combination photograph shows the 11 Felician Sisters who died in April from the congregation’s Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. She says living without visitors or interaction was the hardest on the women, who never asked for anything - even in their final days. Over half of the 57 sisters in Livonia were infected. So many people were impacted by the deaths of the Felician Sisters, including Moloney with the Catholic Foundation of Michigan. The sisters also sponsor the Senior Clergy Village, the Felician Children’s Center in Jackson, Deo Gratias Ministries in Detroit, and the Maryville Retreat Center in Holly. If you see comments in violation of our community guidelines, please report them. Initially, the sisters immigrated to North American in the late 1800s, mostly from Poland, said Marcia Wallander, the order's director of development for North America. Twelve of those sisters died within one month, between April 10 and May 10. "Any word you can think of that means leader and women making a difference. Ex-U-M official sexually harassed employees, had sex in offices, investigation shows, Entire movie theater industry could hinge on release of 'Tenet,' set to open in August. That's down to 44, with five international students from other congregations staying with them to study at Madonna University, one of the nation's largest Franciscan colleges. (Photo: Catholic Foundation). "The Felician sisters have labored to bring the love and message of Jesus to innumerable souls in the Archdiocese of Detroit," Archbishop Allen Vigneron told the Catholic Foundation. Sister Thomas Marie Wadowski, 73, a Detroit native, was a Felician sister in Livonia for 54 years. The Catholic nuns took vows of chastity, obedience and poverty — and, some say, an unofficial vow of humility. And, like many organizations, the sisters have had to take pandemic precautions, such as wearing protective equipment and learning to use more digital communication to maintain their social distance. All rights reserved. She died on June 27, 2020. Convent in Michigan Loses 13 Sisters to Covid-19 From April 10 to May 10, a dozen Felician sisters at the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent died of Covid-19. A link has been sent to your friend's email address. In Livonia over the years, sisters from the convent founded Madonna University, a Montessori school, St. Mary Child Care Center, Angela Hospice and Marywood Nursing Care Center, and … In addition to Michigan, contributions have come from people living in Arizona, California, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas — and Washington, D.C. Two donations came from Norway. That's down to 44, with five international students from other congregations staying with … So far, Moloney said, people have given about $9,000 to the fund, and many donations have been $10 and $20 from strangers. ", Chapel of the Felician Sisters in Livonia on August 1, 2020. The other sister died at the end of June. The group lost 12 nuns over the … “I get chills thinking about that,” Sr. Mary Andrew Budinski, the superior of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary convent in Livonia… It helps — when you think about what they did with their lives — to be a better person yourself.". 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