Obituaries

Sister Mary Loretta Janiszewski, FSSJ, 1927-2021

wnycatholic February 9, 2021

Sister Mary Loretta Janiszewski died peacefully Feb. 3, 2021, at St. Francis Park, Hamburg, in the 93rd year of life and the 74th year of religious life.

Sister Loretta was born on June 30, 1927, in Baltimore to Stephen and Frances (Kociemski) Janiszewski. On Aug. 15, 1945, she became a postulant and on July 15, 1950, Sister Loretta professed her final vows.

Sister Mary Loretta received her bachelor degree in Education at the University of Detroit. For nearly 50 years, including four years as a school administrator, Sister Loretta served as an educator to God’s youngest people. Many of her teaching years were spent in Western New York including St. Columba, Buffalo; St. Vincent, North Evans; Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Silver Creek; Sacred Heart, Medina; and Mother of Divine Grace, Cheektowaga. She also taught at St. Sebastian, Dearborn Heights, Michigan; St. Stanislaus in Chicopee, Massachusetts, and St. Stanislaus in Trenton, New Jersey.

When her teaching career ended, Sister Loretta transferred her many skills and gifts of compassion and kindness to minister to the homebound and elderly in Trenton. For 18 years, she visited, prayed with and consoled those of St. Stanislaus, later Divine Mercy Parish, who could no longer get to church for services or social activities. Much of this was done by walking so that she could greet and minister to others on the way. In 2014, Sister Loretta moved to the Sisters’ care community in Hamburg, and regularly participated in activities.

Sister Loretta had always been inspired by the life of Mother Colette and her own sibling, Sister Regina Janiszewski, FSSJ, who had a deep love and concern for the poor in her midst. Sister found inspiration in the words, “Let your light shine.” She received this motto in high school and lived it throughout her life. Sister Loretta was an active pray-er. She especially loved times of adoration of the Eucharist, devotions and the rosary.