Sister Joan Paskert, IHM

“Teaching piano is challenging, exciting and a great joy. I love it.”

Joan Paskert is the daughter of Joseph (Italian) and Anna (Irish) Paskert. At the beginning of the Great Depression, the combination of those two minorities was not acceptable. But they got married when Joseph was eighteen. Their first baby, Joan, arrived four years later. Though times were hard, Joseph went on to become an engineer and Anna took on part time work. Both saved money so they could give their children the best. Joan and her siblings were always treated as “special.” Joan was the oldest; Joseph was the only son and Vivienne was the baby.

Joan began playing the piano at an early age. As they did not have a piano at home, Joan practiced at the convent. Such experience with IHM (including dusting and cleaning) outside of the classroom has often been foundational in the choice of a
vocation. In third grade her family moved to Dunmore and St. Mary’s and her family had saved enough to give Joan a Steinway piano. Joan spent her high school years at Marywood Seminary.

Joan entered in 1948 shortly after WWII. Her brother, who’d served in the war, was unable to find work in Scranton, so he moved to California. Years later Joan’s parents moved there, too. Joan has spent many holidays and summers in California.

Joan graduated from Marywood with a bachelor’s degree in music education. Her first mission was in Forest Hills, NY, where the superior/principal, Mother Wenceslas, encouraged her continued study. That resulted in Joan’s joining other IHMs at summer school at the University of Notre Dame. After 10 years, she finished with her master’s degree.

In 1953, Joan was part of the first faculty at Little Flower School in Bethesda, MD. The school was not finished. Classes were held in the fire hall and Joan was both a primary (80 students!) and music teacher. (Sister Rachel Terry’s first mission, like Joan’s, was as music teacher at Little Flower. When she got to Marywood, Joan was the first IHM she met! Rachel says of Joan: “Nothing felt as good as being proud to have you as my teacher!”)

Joan moved to Brooklyn where she not only worked for the Diocese as a TV Producer of Music Class Curriculum for Classroom Teachers, she also taught at Queen of Martyrs Elementary School. Joan’s time in Carbondale is a special memory because of her community experience with Sister Hyacinth as her superior. Joan arrived at Marywood in 1975. Though Joan “officially retired” in 2015, she continues to serve at Marywood University teaching piano lessons. During her 39 years in the Music Department, Joan spent years as its chair. She’s worked to continue the Summer Music Camp and started the Children’s Choir.

Some of her favorite memories came because of the mentorship of fellow faculty member, Sister Immaculate Severino, who introduced her to local, state and national organizations for music educators. No experience topped the summer working with music teachers in Hawaii! And, then there was time at St. Olaf’s Music School where, at 4:00 p.m., every class stopped and all students went to their specific choirs!

Because of a serious accident, over a year ago, Joan came to Our Lady of Peace. There are no words to describe what we have here. I can’t begin to express my gratitude.”

Now, if you are walking by the dining room in the morning you will hear the sound of a metronome. Joan practices daily to keep up her skills as one of the musicians at OLP liturgies.

Joan keeps on keeping on with the kind of style she has always had.