Felician Sisters Volunteer at Felician Center

Two Felician Sisters from Buffalo, NY, Sister Paul Marie Baczkowski and Sister Denise Marie Jaworski chose to spend three weeks of their sabbatical serving at Felician Center in Kingstree, SC.

The two Sisters arrived on October 24, 2021 to assist with numerous projects coinciding with the busiest time of the year at the center.  During the three weeks, they assisted with the Learning Center Halloween events for the children.  It included some academic computer reading programs, an art activity on “owls”, and the distribution of “trick or treat” bags for the children. Sister Denise reflected, “How rewarding it was to see how excited the children were to see the Sisters and how their faces lit up when they answered the reading questions correctly”.

The Food Pantry distributions included bags of fruit, grocery store gift cards, and sorting  1800 items donated by the Kingstree Community Youth Group for the 200 Thanksgiving grocery bags for holiday giving.  “The gratitude and acknowledgement received from the people for a $10 gift card or a bag of fruit reminded me of how much we have and how often we don’t recognize who and what is before us as gift”, commented Sister Paul Marie.

Both Sisters were also able to visit the 20 houses on Thorne Avenue in Phase Two of the Neighborhood Forum project.  New exterior doors and/or storm doors were installed in the homes that qualified.  Deadbolt locks and peep holes were in each new door to increase safety for their homeowners.  When ready, the Sisters visited each home with a wreath hanger and autumn wreath to beautify their homes.  This was funded by the Sacred Heart Charitable Grant and Felician Center in observance of the 30^th anniversary year of the presence of the Felician Sisters serving in this community.

Preparations of the annual Christmas cards, laundry baskets with household items for senior citizens, Christmas gifts for the children of the Learning Center and adding finishing touches to ornaments for the Knights of Columbus’ upcoming Christmas party took up more of their days.  “I respect each Sister in this ministry and how hard they work for others each and every day” affirmed Sister Paul Marie.

On November 13, 2021, the two Sisters departed.  Their generous hands and hearts blessed Sister Susanne, Sister Johnna and Sister Carol with much needed extra assistance in the ministry and enriched community living since the COVID pandemic.