Life in Pictures
2024
The collection of images below REFLECTS the story
of the U.S. PROVINCE OVER THE LAST FOUR MONTHS,
INCLUDING LENT, EASTER, special events and simple joys.
The gallery includes some special images of our Sisters captured by Sister Dolores Lichnovska
during her visit to the U.S. for the Jurisdiction Ministers Meeting in March.
Click on any image to view it in larger format.
Sister Marie Therese Sherwood leads Stations of the Cross at The Catholic Community of St. Matthias in Somerset, N.J., on March 17.
Volunteer Judy Campbell presents a delighted Sister Patricia Ann Mahoney with a stuffed alpaca at the Provincial Office in Pittsburgh on February 22. Now named Taco, the soft friend lives in Sister Pat’s office and has some seasonal clothing and accessories.
Sister Georgette Dublino welcomes new resident Constance McKee to Mt. Assisi Place on February 7.
Sister Georgette Dublino leads weekly Bible study for Marian Hall residents at Mt. Assisi Place on February 7.
Sisters Mary Lou Metro (left) and Lorita Kristufek (right) take part in a work session with Sister Frances Marie Duncan during the U.S. Province spring gathering on March 11, at Kearns Spirituality Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sisters Elaine Hromulak, Georgette Dublino and Anece Salay take part in a work session during the U.S. Province spring gathering on March 11, at Kearns Spirituality Center Pittsburgh, Pa.
Sister Pat Mahoney joins Sisters from other communities to celebrate Catholic Sisters Week at a “Share the Cookies” event for students of Robert Morris University on March 14. The event was sponsored by the university’s Campus Ministry office.
Sisters Roseann Velas and Marguerite Stewart were among the enthusiastic participants in a Lenten painting workshop at St. Francis Center for Renewal on March 19. Local artist Jillian Speranza led the amateur artists through a spiritual painting project that each got to take home at the end of the day. Jillian will return to SFCR on September 29, to lead an autumn painting workshop.
Sister M. Virginelle Makos leads a Lenten session of “Praying with the Psalms” at St. Francis Center for Renewal on March 14.
Eighth-grade students of Sister Carol Ann Papp at Northside Catholic Assumption Academy take part in a moving presentation of Living Stations of the Cross on April 24 at St. Cyril of Alexandria Church in Pittsburgh.
Sisters Mary Xavier Bomberger, Anece Salay and Georgette Dublino serve as readers during the Easter Vigil at Mt. Assisi Place on April 8. The flowers were beautifully arranged by Sister Ancy Francis.
Sister Anece Salay enjoys a visit from her sister, Judy, and niece, Jo, at Mt. Assisi Place on March 30.
Sister Marian Sgriccia proudly attends the induction ceremony of her niece, Christina Lieb, into the Indiana County Sports Hall of Fame on May 21. Now a physical therapist and mom of two active kids, Christina was a prolific track and field, volleyball and basketball athlete during her days at Penns Manor High School and Penn State.
All aboard! Sisters Rosalia Giba and Pat Marie Buranosky take a ride on the “Mount Assisi Express” elevator on March 17.
Former member Annabelle McGannon and Sisters Roselyn Kuzma and Ancy Francis are blessed with holy water by Father Dennis Klemash, OFM Cap, during the Easter Vigil at Mt. Assisi Place on April 8.
Teachers from Amazing Scholar Academy Preschool — formerly Mount Assisi Academy Preschool — visited Mt. Assisi Place April 4 to deliver “Bubby Bags” for our Sisters and other residents. The bags were generously filled by our preschool families with puzzle books, snacks, toiletries and other fun items. Here, Kathy Duncan, Melissa Neidhardt, Sandy Ulrich and Laurie Merwin visit with Sisters Eve Blostic, Bernadine Marie Stemnock, Lorita Kristufek and Joyce Burkhart.
In addition to an Easter gift bag, Sister Eve got a visit from the Chips Family, whose three sons attended preschool at Mount Assisi and at Amazing Scholar.
The preschool teachers visit with Sisters Rosalia Giba, Anece Salay and Roselyn Kuzma.
Sister Rosalia Giba enjoys her Easter gift package from a preschool family.
Still dear friends after teaching together for more than 30 years, Sisters Eve Blostic and Kathy Duncan share an embrace.
During a chance encounter at Home Depot on April 15, Sister Mary Lou Metro snuggles up to Lizzie Hyde, the year-old Golden Retriever belonging to our own Linda Hyde. Lizzie was all pooped out from playing with her furry friends at one of the many canine socials she attends.
Sister Irene Novak celebrates her 90th birthday at Monocacy Manor on April 14.
Sister Barbara Ann Webster coordinated coloring of Easter placements by Sisters and Residents at Mt. Assisi Place in early April. The placemats were delivered to nearby Pleasant Valley Shelter to brighten the spirits of local families in need during Easter breakfast.
Sisters Elaine Hromulak, Carol Ann Papp, Frances Marie Duncan, Marian Sgriccia and Mary Lou Metro attend a public art exhibit on March 5 featuring the work of Sister Carol Ann’s art students from Northside Catholic Assumption Academy. Hosted by John A. Hermann Jr. Memorial Art Museum in Bellevue, the free exhibit spotlighted the students’ creativity through a host of inspiration pieces, some of which were designed by two or more students working together.
The new Franciscan Resource Center is filled with Sisters and friends for an opening blessing on April 16 in Pittsburgh.
Sisters Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster and Jeanne Marie Ulica share a smile at the blessing of the Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on April 16.
Sister Gracy Kundukulam delivers refreshments to a few of our Sisters at the Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on April 16.
Sisters Denise Olshausky and Kevin Berdis enjoy good conversation at the Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on April 16.
Sister Adelina Garcia explains the mission of the Franciscan Resource Center to visitors on April 16.
Sister Mary Xavier Bomberger checks in with Sisters Joyce Burkhart and JoAnn Knaebel during the blessing of the Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on April 16.
Sisters Denise Olshausky and Mary Xavier Bomberger pray alongside parishioners at the Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on April 16.
Sister Hilda Marotta chats with Phyllis Sanguigni at the Franciscan Resource Center on April 16. A fellow parishioner at St. Cyril of Alexandria Church, Phyllis is among the regular attendees of FRC programs.
Maggie, the rescue pup belonging to friend and former member Annabelle McGannon, has come a long way since her days in a puppy mill. She’s now social enough that she was able to visit the Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on April 16.
Sisters Karen Buco, Elaine Hromulak, Barbara Ann Webster, Bernadine Marie Stemnock, Mary Lou Metro and friends take part in an opening prayer service at the new Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on April 16.
Milissa Bolcar, a 1986 graduate of St. Francis Academy and current president of the St. Francis Center for Renewal Board of Directors, tries out the finger foods during SFCR’s April 13 “friendraising” event at Lara Bly Designs in Bethlehem, Pa.
Sister Nancy continues to “moonlight” as the Tombola caller when the Sisters in Italy gather at the holidays. Tombola is a number game that closely resembles Bingo.
Sister Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster browses at Lara Bly Designs boutique in Bethlehem, Pa., on April 13, during a “friendraising” event for St. Francis Center for Renewal.
Sister Jo Goolish makes a Easter Week delivery of homemade baked goods to elderly shut-ins in San Antonio, Texas. In addition to organizing a food drive for the Catholic Worker House, she and Sister Yolanda Escamilla baked poppyseed, nut and raspberry kolachki to sweeten the season for neighbors in need.
Sister Anece Salay as photographed by Sister Dolores on March 12.
Sister Marguerite Stewart shows off her colorful collection following an Easter egg hunt in Villa Clare on April 12.
Sister Anne Kutch distinguishes plastic eggs from ceramic decorations during an Easter egg hunt in Villa Clare on April 12.
Sisters Francine Garganta and Jean Makovsky are surprised to find a scratch-off lottery ticket among the hidden treasures found during an egg hunt in Villa Clare on April 12.
Sister Anita Kuchera searches for Easter eggs at Villa Clare on April 12.
Sister Francine Garganta finds a scratch-off ticket among her treasures after the Villa Clare egg hunt on April 12.
Sisters Maria Derecola (left) and Marie Therese Sherwood package produce at Franklin Food Bank in Somerset, N.J., on April 1.
Marge Roncolato, friend and aide in Villa Clare, explains the rules of a belated Easter egg hunt she organized for the Sisters on April 12. The egg hunt was among Marge’s many creative ways to keep the Sisters moving while having so much fun that they forget they are execising.
After the Sisters in Villa Clare empty all of the goodies from the eggs following their April 12 egg hunt, Sister Gracy Kundukulam collects the eggs to be filled again for next year’s fun.
Sister Irene enjoys the challenge of an egg hunt in Villa Clare on April 12.
Sister Barbara DeStefano uses a grabber to collect Easter eggs during a fun-filled egg hunt in Villa Clare on April 12.
As she did in 2022, Sister Marie Therese Sherwood again accompanied a group of ladies from The Catholic Community of St. Matthias to attend the second annual Senior Day at St. Francis Center for Renewal on May 13. Sister Marguerite Stewart engaged all the attendees with a thoughtful discussion on “Celebrating the Gift of Years.”
“Photography remembers little things, long
after you’ve forgotten everything.”
Flowering trees bloom at Mt. Assisi Place in Pittsburgh on April 19.
Sister Patricia Ann Mahoney and a volunteer unload food donations at Light of Life Rescue Mission’s food pantry on Pittsburgh’s North Side on April 4.
Sister Pat Brennan packages plastic bottle caps in the basement of St. Ignatius Loyola Convent in West Lawn, Pa., for shipment to a Bancos de Tapitas collection site in Arizona. The caps have been donated by the children and families of St. Ignatius Loyola School, numbering over 260,000 and filling 140 shipping cartons.
On April 4, Sisters Bernadine Marie Stemnock and Anece Salay add a few last-minute items to the impressive haul of food collected at Mt. Assisi Place in Pittsburgh during the Sisters' spring food drive.
Volunteers at the Catholic Worker House in San Antonio, Texas, accept a delivery of meat products from Sister Jo Goolish (left). Along with Sister Yolanda Escamilla, Sister Jo coordinates such a donation quarterly to help families in need.
A thought-provoking Lenten bulletin board created by Sister Barbara Ann Webster offers an important reminder at Mt. Assisi Place.
Sisters Barbara Brown, Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster, M. Virginelle Makos, Marguerite Stewart and friends gather outdoors at Monocacy Farms for a Laudato Si’ Anniversary Week prayer service on May 23. The farm is hosting outdoor Community Drum Circles on the third Tuesday of each month through October.
Sister Dolores captured Sister JoAnn Knaebel’s smile at Mt. Assisi Place on March 16.
Sister Lois Jean DiFalco couldn’t hide her smile when she caught Sister Dolores taking her photo at Mt. Assisi Place on March 10.
Rev. Dr. Pam Payne leads the March 21 session of our “Learning to Live Laudato Si” series at St. Francis Center for Renewal. She focused on the human roots of the ecological crisis."
A quilt lovingly embroidered by Sister M. Virginelle Makos and backed by Liz Ceol, sister of late Sister Marcia Fidishun, is displayed at Fox Optical in Bethlehem, Pa., on April 13. Valued at $3,000, the future heirloom is being auctioned as a benefit for Monocacy Farm Project.
Sister M. Virginelle Makos keeps everyone at Monocacy Manor caffeinated on March 18. Photo by Sister Dolores.
Mark and Ashley Yundt of The Marquee Kitchen visit Sister Barbara Brown at Tanczos Beverage in Bethlehem on May 27, during a fundraiser for Monocacy Farm Project. In addition to $1 from each adult slushee sold that day, proceeds from various raffles benefitted MFP. Throughout 2023 — the farm’s 10th anniversary season — local businesses like Tanczos are hosting “10 for 10” events to support the farm’s good works.
Sister Bernadine Marie Stemnock takes part in a prayer service at Mt. Assisi Place on March 10, marking the death anniversary of Mother Hyacinth Zahalka. Photo by Sister Dolores.
Sister Karen Buco listens as John Conte reads poetry aloud during a book release party for “Visions of the Past Through Poetry” at Mt. Assisi Place on June 2. The book includes 17 poems by Mt. Assisi Place residents, including Sister Karen. You can read more about it by clicking here.
Sister Karen Buco celebrates the release of the poetry collection “Visions of the Past Through Poetry” with Mt. Assisi Place activities director Karen Vevers, author John Conte and fellow resident and poet Dana Funk on June 2. Sister Karen’s poem “Come Alive” is included in the book.
Sister Dolores captured this photo of Sister Rosaria Shina at Monocacy Manor on March 18.
Sister Virginia Rose Carroll works on a craft project in the Sisters’ community room at Mt. Assisi Place on March 12. Photo by Sister Dolores.
Sister Georgette Dublino takes part in a prayer service at Mt. Assisi Place on March 10, marking the death anniversary of Mother Hyacinth Zahalka. Photo by Sister Dolores.
Sister Pat Mahoney welcomed two special visitors to our Provincial Office in Pittsburgh on May 30 — a mother and daughter pair who both graduated from Mount Assisi Academy. Mary Kucan Hamas (MAA 1941) and her daughter Linda Hamas Meisner (MAA 1968) stopped by to see “Sister Patty,” who is a distant cousin. At age 99, Mary is the oldest known living graduate of MAA and looks forward to attending our "Welcome Home" alumnae event in October.
Sisters Barbara Brown and Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster — along with Associate Helen McComb — attend the Franciscan Federation’s 2023 Conference June 9-12 in St. Louis.
A pregnant doe finds a shady spot on the grounds at Mt. Assisi Place on May 25. Keep scrolling to see mom with her fawn a few weeks later.
Sisters Mary Martha Zammatore and Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster fill the White House Chapel with music on March 18. Photo by Sister Dolores.
On May 7 — the day after the Swiss Guards are sworn in at the Vatican — the guards are able to invite guests for private tours of the Sistine Chapel and part of the Papal Palace near the Sistine Chapel. Sisters Regina Zuk-Olszewska, Frances Marie Duncan and Nancy Celaschi were invited for one of the private tours through a friend of a Swiss Guard. “It was a profound experience to ponder the beauty and history with no crowd around.,” says Sister Frances Marie.
“Photography is the pause button of life.”
Sister Regina Zuk-Olszewska, vicar general, greets Sister Joyce Burkhart at Mt. Assisi Place on March 12. Photo by Sister Dolores.
Sister Denise Olshausky enjoys breakfast with the jurisdiction ministers at Mt. Assisi Place on March 12. Photo by Sister Dolores.
Sisters Georgette Dublino, Jeanne Marie Ulica and Patricia Ann Mahoney accompany the jurisdiction ministers on a sightseeing trip to Mount Washington in Pittsburgh on March 16. Afterwards, the group also took a drive through the city’s North Side, where the Pioneer Sisters first settled in the United States.
Sister Barbara Brown welcomes former employee and longtime Associate Helen McComb to a gathering with the jurisdiction ministers when they visited Monocacy Manor in March. Photo by Sister Dolores.
An expectant goose holds her post atop an egg on April 14, in the curious nesting spot she chose right outside the back entrance to the Monocacy Manor White House. Cones and caution tape were erected nearby to assure her very protective mate that the Sisters would not disturb the expectant mother during their comings and goings.
Sister Marian Sgriccia, Bernadine Marie Stemnock and Kevin Berdis listen intently to a participant in the Franciscan Resource Center’s first public program on May 3. The topic was “Living the Gospel Today: The Gifts & Challenges.”
Sisters Jeanne Marie Ulica and Patricia Ann Mahoney engage in thoughtful conversation with patrons of the Franciscan Resource Center on May 24. All were there for Sister Adelina Garcia’s program on “Exploring the Old Testament.” The gentleman, George Ferrance, is a friend of the community and a relative of late Sister Virginia Cummings.
Sister M. Virginelle Makos serves patrons at Monocacy Farm Project’s third annual Spring on the Farm event in Bethlehem, Pa., on May 13.
Associate Deb Neely and Sisters Marian Sgriccia and M. Virginelle Makos arrive at St. Francis Center for Renewal’s 13th Annual Gala and Silent Auction on May 6, in Bethlehem, Pa.
Sister Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster greets visitors to information table about Monocacy Farm Project during St. Francis Center for Renewal’s Gala & Silent Auction on May 6. MFP was one of two nonprofits spotlighted during the gala for their good works in the Lehigh Valley. The second was Bloom for Women.
Sister Francis Garganta enjoys the Gala on May 6.
Sister Mary Martha Zammatore couldn’t hide her joy during the gala on May 6.
Along with some St. Francis Academy alums, Sisters Marguerite Stewart and Mary Xavier Bomberger whoop it up in the photo booth at the St. Francis Center for Renewal Gala & Silent Auction on May 6.
Deborah Karabin Stevenson (St. Francis Academy Class of 1968) and Sister Marguerite Stewart show off their colorful, floral headbands at St. Francis Center for Renewal’s Gala & Silent Auction on May 6.
Sisters Marian Sgriccia and Barbara Brown chat during St. Francis Center for Renewal’s Gala & Silent on May 6, in Bethlehem, Pa.
Sister Roselyn Kuzma welcomes visiting jurisdiction ministers to her room at Mt. Assisi Place on March 12. Photo by Sister Dolores.
Sisters Donna Pusch and Mary Xavier Bomberger arrive “aboard” St. Francis Center for Renewal’s 13th Annual Gala & Silent Auction on May 6, at Mullen Hall in Bethlehem, Pa.
Sister Regina Ann Rokosny and Pope Francis have a great time at St. Francis Center for Renewal’s Mexico-themed Gala & Silent Auction on May 6.
Sister Carol Ann Papp recently visited an alpaca farm in Kent, Ohio, where she couldn’t help but feel the spirit of St. Francis. “What a calming experience to walk among the alpacas, who are so gentle,” she says. “Even their gallop is calming and quiet. They love being fed and walk away when they’ve had enough.”
Daniella Normando, financial assistant in Bethlehem, adds some special flavor to the 2023 kickoff of Monocacy Farm Project’s Pick Your Own program on June 3 by cooking spinach and peas from the farm for patrons to sample.
Sister M. Virginelle Makos leads the season finale of Simply Prayer at St. Francis Center for Renewal on June 6. Her topic was “Love Fills the Void” and focused on letting God’s love into our lives. A new season of the popular monthly gathering will begin in September.
Sister Dolores evokes a shy smile from Sister Marian Sgriccia at San Damiano convent on March 12.
Sister Cecilia Jacko, as photographed by Sister Dolores at Mt. Assisi Place on March 12.
The St. Francis Academy Class of 1973 was recognized in its 50th anniversary year during St. Francis Center for Renewal’s 2023 Gala & Silent Auction on May 6. The “girls” presented Sisters Regina Ann Rokosny, Marguerite Stewart and Mary Xavier Bomberger with a $1,350 donation in gratitude for the Sisters’ influence in their lives.
On June 20, Sister Virginelle Makos and Marguerite Stewart take part in the first of a series of community drum circles at Monocacy Farms. Led by Catherine Campanero, the gatherings are held outdoors on the second Tuesday of each month through October.
Sister Dolores captured this lovely portrait of Sister Pat Marie Buranosky at Mt. Assisi Place on March 12.
A thoughtful Sister Joyce Burkhart, as photographed by Sister Dolores on March 10, in the chapel at Mt. Assisi Place.
Sister Carol Ann presents one of her students, Ellie, with a certificate for participating in the John Herman Art Museum exhibit in March. If you look closely, you’ll see Sister Adelina Garcia, who stopped in with the other Sisters from Kendall House to view the exhibit.
LIFE GOES ON …
Do you have photos to share with the community in the next Life in Pictures photo gallery? Send them by email or text to Nicole at 412-513-7087 or nbuchlmayer@schoolsistersosf.org.
At a reunion of the Mount Assisi Academy Class of 1957 on June 7, Sister Pat Marie Buranosky reconnects with Catherine Rapp Brannon.
After years of exchanging emails, Nicole Buchlmayer and Sister Anezka Novomestka finally meet in the Provincial Office in Pittsburgh on March 10. Both are responsible for sharing news with our Sisters around the world.
At a reunion of the Mount Assisi Academy Class of 1957 on June 7, Sister Pat Marie Buranosky gets a squeeze from Maryann Eckert Doyle. A former boarder, Maryann was in eighth grade at MAA when Sister Pat Marie was a novice.
On May 17, faculty and students at Northside Catholic Assumption Academy received a surprise visit from Joseph Vũ Văn Thiên, the bishop of Hanoi, Vietnam. Bishop Van Thien was visiting his priests in the United States. Father Dam Nguyen, currently stationed at St. Cyril in Brighton Heights, invited the bishop and several other visiting priests to visit NCAA and our educational system. Principal Rosanne Kwiatowski (far left), Sister Carol Ann Papp and several 8th grade students, were honored to meet this special guest.
Sisters Nancy Celaschi, Seena Chittilappilly and Mary Xavier Bomberger brave damp, windy weather to do some sightseeing in Assisi on May 21.
Sister Pat Marie Buranosky enjoys a reunion of the Mount Assisi Academy Class of 1957 at Bravo in Pittsburgh on June 7. “The spirit of the ‘girls’ was so uplifting,” she says. Pictured are Janet Melche D’Alesandro, Ruth Weiser, Catherine Rapp Brannon, Diane Smitzer Kimpton, Maryann Eckert Doyle, Mary Cummings Burgert, Gloria Szyper Clauss and Eileen Walsh Froelich.
Sister Anece Salay delights in cuddling a young visitor to the Franciscan Resource Center in Pittsburgh on June 13.
Sisters Jo Goolish and Yolanda Escamilla help out at a yard sale on May 27 at the San Antonio home of Sister Yolanda’s sister, Blanca Sanchez. The $300 in proceeds provided meat products for the Catholic Worker House, which feeds many of the local street people.
Sister Marguerite Stewart leads a discussion of the Sacred Heart on June 13 for the Serra Club of Bethlehem, Pa. Returning to St. Francis Center for Renewal for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, the Serrans are dedicated to fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
On June 16, Sisters Loretta Motko, Anita Kuchera, Anne Kutch and Barbara DeStefano — along with Villa Clare aide Lucinda — shell and pint peas grown at Monocacy Farms in preparation for Monocacy Farm Project’s Pick Your Own day on June 17. Patrons can come to the farm twice a week to pick their own fresh vegetables. As MFP has harvested a bounty of peas early in the growing season, other batches have been pinted for distribution to families in need through ProJeCt of Easton, SS. Simon & Jude food pantry and Central Moravian Food Pantry, all in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley.
In addition to capturing our Sisters in candid moments, Sister Dolores also took some beautiful images of our homes and statues, including this one at Mt. Assisi Place.
Remember our expectant doe shown in an earlier photo? Our Sisters at Little Flower House have enjoyed watching the antics of her and her young fawn, photographed here by employee Tammy Towers enjoying the property at Mt. Assisi Place on June 15.
Sister Carol Ann Papp spent some time in early summer along the shores of Lake Erie gathering more than 60 beautiful, smooth stones of all shapes and sizes to use in her art classes this fall. “The waters really smoothed the surfaces of the rocks, making them perfect for painting or creating small sculptures with the art students,” she says.
Sister Bonnie Marie Kleinschuster — accompanied by Daniella Normando — cooked up some hot dogs, hamburgers and farm-fresh veggies on May 24, as the Monocacy Farm Project team and maintenance staff from Monocacy Manor celebrated the birthday of MFP farmer Anton Shannon.
During her family’s recent trip to Ocean City, Md., Nicole Buchlmayer viewed stunning biblical sand sculptures created by artist Randy Hofman. The large and intricately-detailed sculptures can be viewed right along the Ocean City Boardwalk, where Randy swaps out the scenes periodically. This depiction of Noah’s Ark was freshly finished on July 4.