We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved Funeral – Friday, July 21, 2006 at 10:00 a.m.
“Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to your word.” Luke 1:38 In 1933, four young girls entered what was called the Candidacy of the Sisters of Divine Providence in the recently formed St. Louis Province . But they did not live in St. Louis. They stayed with the Sisters in St. Mary's Convent in Brussels , Illinois . After a year of study there, they became Postulants; the first young women to begin their training in St. Louis itself. Prior to this, candidates traveled to Pittsburgh to enter the Community. So, Sister Margaret Mary and her classmates were real pioneers in the Community, and valued members who gave their life to their God as Sisters of Divine Providence. Sister Margaret Mary was born on November 3, 1917 , in Venice , Illinois , the daughter of Polish immigrants. The Sisters of Divine Providence opened St. Mark's School in Venice in 1921, just in time to begin the education of little Stella Wilgatek. Sister Margaret Mary always valued education, and was herself an excellent educator. She acquired a bachelor of science degree from St. Louis University in 1948, and a masters degree in education administration in 1949. She served in a variety of schools as principal and as teacher, and was directress of studies for the Community from 1968 until 1974. She was the first Principal at North American Martyrs School, where she set a high standard of learning, and was particularly kind to a very young Postulant who was assigned to teach there in the first semester. When she finally retired from a regular teaching schedule, she continued to tutor students until 1991. Sister Margaret Mary was a musician, and loved good music. She instilled this love in her students, by accompanying and directing the choir, and by having the students put on operettas. In her early retirement years, she spent time in Brussels, teaching 8 th grade math, doing bulletin boards, helping with laundry; in other words, giving service wherever she was able. And she was never loath to treat the household to ice cream. Her latter years, at St. Clare's, were filled with much prayer, and a fair amount of baseball. The St. Louis Cardinals had an avid fan in our Sister Margaret Mary. Here, too, she helped decorate bulletin boards for the residents at St. Clare, and was good company for anyone who visited. In the ‘60's, when we were asked to share our favorite Scripture quotes, Sister Margaret Mary listed three, one of which was Luke 1:38. In her final illness, she evidenced how much a part of her life that quotation had become. She bore her illness patiently, and with good grace. She did, indeed, seem to live the words: Be it done unto me according to Your will. Birthday: November 3SJA
|
