When one is born in 1938, she can be excused for being forgetful at 87! And, as a resident at OLP, Sister Mary Helen Slavinskas is not in a minority age group. However, after doing almost 75 profiles in the past six years, her level of acceptance of that reality and being at peace with her forgetfulness really struck me as being exceptional!
Born in Albany, NY, in the years right before WWII, Mary Helen’s father, Vincent, worked for a defense contractor – which also helped him avoid being drafted. He and his wife, Helen, moved their family to Scranton and settled in the Nativity section of South Scranton. Mary Helen is the oldest of three girls (Nancy and Cathy). Her brother, William, died, many years ago.
Mary Helen met the IHMs at Nativity Grade School and then at South Catholic High School. Her father was the baseball coach at Nativity (she proudly showed me the team picture!) Her classmate, Sister Sarah Ann Holmes, is a dear friend. She remembers little of those years, except that the IHM Sisters were excellent teachers especially her English teacher, Sister Allison.
L-R: IHM Sisters Mary Helen, Joan Marie, Marianne and Anne Mary
Sister Mary Faber made her first profession in February of 1959 and set off immediately for St. Mary of the Mount in Pittsburgh for her first teaching assignment. Since she didn’t complete her degree until 1967, the IHMs she lived with became her mentors. However, she did like the idea that she was “smarter than her students!”
After ten years in the classroom and after receiving her bachelor’s degree, Mary Helen received her first appointment as a principal in Williamsport and, after only one year, she was transferred to be the principal at St. Mary’s Elementary School for Girls in Manhasset, NY.
Sister Mary Helen at the register in Heartworks.
Mary Helen received her Master’s degree in Education/Administration and returned to classroom teaching. In 1983, she returned to being the school principal in Brooklyn and then to Oyster Bay for 20 years!
In 2009, Mary Helen returned to Scranton to be the director of Heartworks and held this position until she was 81! Mary Helen finally came to OLP as a prayer minister in 2020.
Her focus these days is on the “Now” and the sisters and staff at OLP and connecting with her family. While she says she is intentionally kind, it’s my observation that the truth is much deeper – she is a model of IHM hospitality! If I remember anything from our conversation, it will be the story of a staff member who wasn’t feeling accepted and approached her. From then on, that staff member would seek her out to get her “hug for the day.” What a legacy!
Sister Mary Helen taking part in goat therapy at OLP in 2024.
