Meet Our New Provincial Superior

Sister Theresa Slota, SSMI

Sr. Theresa Anne (Terry Anne) Slota was born on March 15, 1948, and raised in Toronto, Ontario, the eldest of four children.

Sr. Theresa entered the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate on August 28, 1966, having completed high school at Mount Mary Academy that year. Later, she received a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology and English from McMaster University in 1975, and a Bachelor of Education from University of Toronto in 1978. In 1992, she completed classes for a Masters of Arts majoring in Educational Administration.

Her various ministries have included parish work in Saskatoon parishes (69-70), Toronto parish work (70-74), mission work in London, England (Aug. 75-Nov. 75), mission work in Lourdes, France ( Nov 75-Aug 76), and summers working for Bishop Jerome Chimy in British Columbia (77-78). She ministered as Teacher and Guidance Counsellor at Sacred Heart High School (78-89), and then Principal at Sacred Heart High School (89-91), before being employed by the Holy See (Apostolic Nunciature in Kyiv, 1992-2004). As Personal Secretary to the Nuncio in Kyiv, she acted as translator, Chief of Staff, Bursar and Administrator of the Apostolic Nunciature.

She returned to Canada on September 29, 2004 and remained with her ailing parents until they died, her mother on October 31, 2004, and her father on April 2, 2005.

In 2005, she was elected as Provincial Councillor, and was also assigned to be Superior at the Provincial Home for one year. In 2006, until her present election to the office of Provincial Superior for Sisters Servants in Canada, she had been the Secretary for Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak, OSBM, in Winnipeg.

She has served on various committees within the SSMI Community, including as a delegate to Rome to represent Christ the King Province at a meting of younger religious in 1990, as a delegate to the SSMI General Chapters of 1999 and 2005 in Rome, and as Provincial Councillor for the 2005-2009 term.

In the broader community, she also served on the Yorkton Separate School Board, as a member of the Board of the Ukrainian Care Centre in Toronto, representing Bishop Stephen Chmilar, on the Future Planning Committee and on the Governance Planning Committee of Holy Family Nursing Home in Winnipeg, on the School Board of Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Winnipeg, and on the Bishop Budka Centennary Planning Committee, also in Winnipeg.

Sister Theresa has a great love for the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, a deep love of her Ukrainian Catholic Church and its people, and for the prayer of the Church. She loves life, exhudes warmth and has a delightful sense of humour. She is willing to take risks and is open to admitting and learning from her mistakes. As such, she values the input of her Sisters and working collaboratively with them.

She is an articulate speaker, fluent in English and Ukrainian, is conversant in Italian, and has a knowledge of Russian and Polish. Having international Church experience, she is comfortable with the clergy of both the Eastern and Western Rites, and in general relates well to all people.