Sisters of St. Casimir Celebrate 111th Anniversary

by Sister Margaret Petcavage, SSC

One hundred and eleven years ago, at Marywood, a young woman and her two companions professed their love for God and their commitment to a life of service to their brothers and sisters. A new Congregation was founded—the Sisters of St. Casimir. The young woman was Casimira Kaupas, now  Venerable Mother Maria.

The seed planted in the heart of Mother Maria continued to grow and blossom into a tree that bore fruit in the lives of many people. Over 500 Sisters of St. Casimir were missioned in 14 states in the U.S. and 3 cities in Argentina. All reached out through the ministries of education, health care, pastoral work and much more, including the establishment of a congregation of the Sisters of St. Casimir in Mother Maria’s homeland, Lithuania.

On August 25, 2018, this story of love and dedication was celebrated with a Mass of Thanksgiving at the St. Casimir Center in Chicago followed by the blessing of the newly created Legacy Rooms, which include the office/bedroom of Mother Maria. The founding and the unfolding life story of the Sisters of St. Casimir are gracefully and meaningfully displayed in pictures and words. A committee of SSCs and three talented laywomen created a space that not only captures the key moments of the SSC story but also inspires those who walk through those rooms to hear the call in their own lives to make the world a better and holier place.

Msgr. Michael Boland, CEO and president of Chicago Catholic Charities, had suggested this legacy space to enshrine and preserve the memory and ministry of Mother Maria and her sisters in their historic Chicago Motherhouse. Today the sisters’ legacy continues through the people of Catholic Charities as they minister to so many within the Motherhouse, now known as St. Casimir Center.

The SSC Congregation contracted with EWTN to create a documentary about the life of Mother Maria. When completed, this story of responding to God’s call will be memorialized in an EWTN series known as, “They Might Be Saints."

View photos of the event: https://tinyurl.com/yb5e7d8h