Sister Mary Bertina Rapnicki, FSSJ 1928-2025

Sister Mary Bertina Rapnicki died peacefully on Feb. 5, 2025, at St. Francis Park in the 96th year of life and the 78th year of religious life.

Sister Bertina was born on April 17, 1928, in Detroit, to Jan and Julia (Maximovicz) Rapnicki. On Jan. 5, 1946, she became a postulant and on July 15, 1950, Sister Bertina professed her final vows.

Sister Mary Bertina received her master’s in Education degree at Marygrove College in Detroit. For nearly 60 years, including 32 years as a school administrator, Sister Bertina served as an educator to God’s youngest people. She began her teaching career at St. Anthony, Fairfield, Connecticut. She then taught at St. Stanislaus, Trenton, New Jersey; Holy Rosary, Kenosha, Wisconsin; St. Hyacinth, Monessen, Pennsylvania; St. Stanislaus, Chicopee, Massachusetts; and St. Hedwig High School, Detroit. She served a few years as principal at St. Charles Borromeo, Milwaukee, in the middle of her career and completed her many years of service as a long-tenured, devoted principal at Holy Rosary of Pompeii School in Kenosha. Sister Bertina completed her years of active ministry by serving in a variety of parish ministries including pastoral aide to the sick and homebound. She moved to the congregation’s care community in 2014.

Sister Bertina had always been inspired by her parents and her family life. Her parents were deeply religious people who instilled a love for God and the Church into their children. The Franciscan Fathers at St. Hedwig’s continued to inspire her as did her initial formation in community. She especially enjoyed studying the life of Mother Colette Hilbert and the early sisters. In her spare time, Sister Bertina enjoyed praying Divine Mercy devotions, watching EWTN, and reading spiritual books. She also shared emails with family and friends and worked on word games.

A funeral Mass was held at the sisters’ chapel on Feb. 11. Burial will be at St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Cheektowaga.