A Tapestry of Love and Collaboration

In the late 19th century, the lives and experiences of many people became the threads that were woven into the life story of the Sisters of St. Casimir.  Most especially among those threads was the life of the remarkable woman, Casimira Kaupas, born in 1880 in Ramygala, Lithuania.  Cooperating with God’s great love for her and her great desire to help the Lithuanian immigrant population which she first witnessed in Scranton, PA, Casimira did all she could to weave the threads of a lovely tapestry of a religious community into existence. 

This was a remarkable accomplishment because Casimira had never seen or heard of a religious Sister in her life, until she arrived in Scranton, PA in 1897, to be the housekeeper for her priest brother.  Seated on a streetcar and through a window, she saw blue robed women with a group of children. Hurrying home to her brother, she asked who these women were only to hear him say, “they are women who live for God alone.”  At last, her life’s dilemma was answered, she would become a Sister, but she wondered, “how is this possible?” 

It was possible because many people have “threaded” the design of the weaving of our life story especially Casimira’s brother, Father Anthony, pastor of St. Joseph parish in North Scranton and Father Anthony Staniukynas, a scholarly pastor in Mt. Carmel, PA.  Through their dedication and commitment, along with The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, (IHM) and so many others, our Congregation came into existence. It was Father Staniukynas, who agreed to guide and train this young Congregation.  He asked his Bishop, John W. Shanahan of Harrisburg, PA to help bring the Congregation into existence.  The Bishop, in 1905, immediately wrote to Mother M. Cyril, IHM, General Superior of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Scranton for assistance in guiding the three young women desiring to become Sisters and help them establish a new Congregation. 

What began as a time of training in religious life for Casimira, soon developed into a deep spiritual friendship with Mother M. Cyril Conway, IHM.  Six years later, when Casimira had become Mother Maria, she wrote monthly to Mother Cyril seeking advice and sharing her joys and challenges, ever trusting in Mother’s help and the Lord’s. In a 1911 letter Mother Cyril wrote, recalling their beginning days, “I will never forget the first night the three of you came here… and the one who went into my heart and made me feel you were God’s children, and I was called upon to encourage and help you as best I could, was yourself…”  This bond of friendship remained strong and lasting until Mother Maria’s death in 1940, when Mother M. Cyril attended her funeral at the Chicago St. Casimir Motherhouse.  

Throughout the years, the two Congregations continued the sisterly bond first established in 1905, especially as many St. Casimir Sisters attended Marywood College for their higher education.  This sisterly bond continues to this day as the number of St. Casimir Sisters has greatly diminished.  Following in Mother Cyril’s footsteps, the IHM Sisters have continued to walk with us each step of the way providing support and love as we continue as a very small community.   In 2018, a formal “Covenant agreement” and plan was signed by members of both communities.  The required step of requesting Rome to appoint a Pontifical Commissary (a leader being sent to govern) to oversee our needs, to care for our Sisters and to govern the business of the community, has been enacted.  It was requested of Rome that this “commissary” be an IHM Sister.  Two SSCs will be appointed as members of the commissary’s advisory team.  This decision to be governed by a Pontifical Commissary, namely an IHM Sister, will begin on August 29, 2024.  

The thread and fabric of our ministries, namely teaching and health care throughout the past one-hundred plus years helped the Sisters of St. Casimir to achieve much for the Lord’s people in fourteen States.  In this way they carried out Mother Maria’s desire to help God’s people.  One of the greatest accomplishments of the congregation was to pursue the Beatification and canonization of their Foundress, Mother Maria.  Her holy life is visible throughout the Church because Rome has named her to be “Venerable Mother Maria.”  Her holy remains rest in the very Chicago chapel where she prayed daily.  

As we, Sisters of St. Casimir, look back over these past 116 years, we remain filled with gratitude to God for we have been so deeply “Rooted in Love.”  This, we attribute to firmly believing that our Mother Maria, SSC, and Mother M. Cyril, IHM, continue to weave the lives of our two Communities–both having a special devotion to Mary, our heavenly Mother.  

At this time of change, we see history repeating itself. Our very first General Superior in 1907 was Mother M. Gabriel Donnelly, IHM. This was because, according to Rome’s decree, Mother Maria had to be professed for six years in order to be eligible to be elected as General Superior of the Sisters of St. Casimir. 

Our SSC and IHM communities truly have grown in grace—a gift freely given by our loving God and for which we remain ever grateful.