Sister Bernardine Spisak, OSF

January 23, 1911 - June 28, 1986

Sister M. Bernardine (Mary) Spisak, a member of the School Sisters of St. Francis, died on June 28, 1986, in Pittsburgh, Pa. She was 75 and in her 56th year of religious life.

Mary was born to Joseph and and Anna (Sobek) Spisak on January 23, 1911, in McKees Rocks, Pa. She entered the community in 1929 and was given the name of Sister Bernardine.  She professed her first vows in 1930 and final vows in 1936, both at Mount Assisi Convent in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Sister Bernardine held a bachelor’s degree in education from Villa Maria College in Erie, Pa., and a master’s degree in education from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. During her years of ministry, Sister Bernardine taught at Catholic schools in the Pennsylvania towns of Farrell, Ambridge, Bethlehem and Charleroi, as well as in Clifton and Jersey City, N.J. For more than 20 years, she taught business courses at our former Mount Assisi Academy in Pittsburgh, where for a time she also supervised the boarding students.

In 1969, Sister served as coordinator of and delegate to the Provincial Chapter, and also as typist for the General Chapter. After the academy closed in 1978, Sister Bernardine served the community as Motherhouse coordinator and also managed health insurance and social security matters for the Sisters.

Sister is remembered for her meticulous attention to detail and for training her students to be just as precise. She’d often say, “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.” Such diligence proved valuable in typing, writing letters, and helping with mailings.

As a teacher, she showed great interest in her students and they, in turn, thought highly of her. She took great pride in their accomplishments and often stayed in touch with alumnae.

“Sister Bernardine was a nun and a lady,” one Sister wrote. “Hers was a dedicated life.”

Sister Bernardine is buried in St. Francis Cemetery at Mt. Assisi Place in Pittsburgh, Pa.