Sister Alexis Mary Nazar, SSMI
1921 — 2011

Sister Alexis, a member of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, fell asleep in the Lord at St. Michael’s Hospital, Palliative Care, Toronto, ON on Tuesday, May 24, 2011.

Her life

Mary (Sister Alexis) was born on March 25, 1921, in West Bend, SK and baptised in the Patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church in Model Farm, SK. Her parents were among the founding members of this parish. She was the eleventh of thirteen children born to Paul and Anna (Iwanuich), who had immigrated to this farming district from the region of Peremyshl (now located in Poland) in 1904.

She received her elementary education at the local Caleraine School and three years of her secondary education at Foam Lake School. She graduated from Sacred Heart Academy in Yorkton, SK, where she became acquainted with the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate.

Having experienced the call of Christ to religious life, Mary entered the Novitiate of the Sisters Servants in Mundare, AB on July 03, 1942. Sister Alexis made first profession of vows on January 07, 1945, and final profession on August 15, 1951.

In her 69 years as a Sister Servant, Sister Alexis generously served her religious community, church and people. She was missioned in the full-time teaching apostolate for thirty-five years.

She attended Teachers’ College in Saskatoon, SK and graduated from the University of Calgary with a B.Ed. Degree. She had also attended the University of Saskatchewan and Nazareth College in Rochester, NY and Villanova College in Pennsylvania, USA. She was an accredited elementary school teacher in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan as well as in the USA. She taught at the following Catholic Schools in Canada: St. Mary’s School in Saskatoon, SK; St. Angela’s School in Calgary, AB and St. Bernadette’s School in Kitchener, ON. For over ten years she taught in the parochial schools in Kaiser and Minersville, PA and Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio, USA.

In the teaching profession she was rated as above average. Her lessons were well planned and presented. She excelled in motivating her students and had good rapport with them. Her classrooms were attractive. She enjoyed teaching and found her fulfillment in knowing that she made a positive contribution in her students’ lives. She delighted to share her classroom memories.

In addition to her apostolate in Catholic Schools, Sister Alexis served in the parishes, where she was missioned. On weekends she taught Religion and prepared First Holy Communicants. She also assisted in preparing the church sanctuary for the Christmas, Holy Week and Easter celebrations. When not attending summer school at a University, she devoted her summer months to teaching catechism in rural parishes and preparing children for First Holy Communion in Alberta and Saskatchewan. One summer she taught religion at a summer camp in Sudbury, ON.

Sister Alexis furthered her education as a Sister Servant by taking courses in catechetics and spirituality. In 1990 she took a pastoral Care course in Ottawa, for which she was very grateful. She had a sabbatical year, attending the CREDO program for religious at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, USA.

After Sister Alexis retired from full-time teaching, she was involved in parish ministry — caring for the Church Sanctuary and teaching children religion and conducting Ukrainian School in Windsor, ON, and in Vegreville and Calgary, Alberta. She served as local Superior in Calgary, AB.

In her later years, Sister Alexis utilized her teaching skills and experience in teaching ESL (English as a Second Language) to students from Latin America attending Mount Mary Academy in Ancaster, ON. She also taught adults, who had immigrated to Canada. What brought her great joy was teaching English to Sisters Servants from Ukraine, Serbia, and Slovakia, who came to Canada for short-term mission work or studies.

Sister Alexis was grateful for the opportunity given her by religious community to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, Greece and Rome. In 1992, the year of her Golden Jubilee, she visited Ukraine. This was an unforgettable experience. It was also the centenary year of the founding of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate. She participated in all of the special celebrations in Ukraine honouring this occasion.

Sister Alexis had an adventurous spirit and sought new ways to serve her Church and people. In the 1990s, this led her to volunteer to serve in our missions in Lourdes, France and Munich, Germany. While in Lourdes, FR, she felt privileged to share her tender love of Mary Immaculate with pilgrims from post-Communist Ukraine and other countries. The Lourdes spirit had so captivated her that she returned there for several months, as recently as 2005 — to pray at the Grotto and intercede for the needs of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate, for the country of Ukraine, for her family, and her former students and friends.

From 2002 Sister Alexis was missioned at the Provincial Home in Toronto. As her health permitted, she willingly participated in parish devotions and celebrations and enjoyed socializing with the parishioners. She especially treasured her times of prayer at the Basilian Marian Shrine of Gratitude at Weston, ON. Besides conducting ESL classes, she assisted in welcoming guests, giving tours of the home and the SSMI Centenary Heritage Display. She offered her sufferings and prayers for those in most need and in particular for Ukraine and its future.

Her faithfulness to the Lord and her loving devotion to the Mother of God and the Saints sustained Sister Alexis in times of difficulty and pain. As her life was ending, she accepted God’s will, trusting in His infinite mercy and compassion. She was grateful for the smallest gesture of love. She was a strong woman, of pioneer stock, able to bear an incredible burden of pain without complaint.

Sister Alexis loved her family and shared in their joys and sorrows throughout her life. She looked forward to family visits and celebrations. She supported them in time of need by her prayers, sufferings and kind words of encouragement. She appreciated their concern and goodness.

She was especially proud of her two nephews who also answered the call to serve the Lord as religious, Father Eugene Richlark, OSBM, and Father David Nazar, SJ. Father Eugene is currently the Provincial Superior of the Canadian Basilian Fathers and Father David, the Provincial Superior of the Eastern Rite branch of the Jesuits in Ukraine. Daily she prayed for them and for God’s blessing on their service of leadership in their respective religious Orders.

Sister Alexis was predeceased by her parents, by her brothers — Brother Justin (John), OSBM, William, infant Nicholas, Michael, Steve, Harry, Alfred, Metro and sisters Katherine, Mary (who died at age 11 and after whom Sister Alexis was named) and Anne.

She is survived by her brother George (Stella) in Belleville, ON and sisters-in-law Olga (Metro) in Toronto, ON and Mary (Mike) in Saskatoon, SK and numerous nieces and nephews with their families.

Her funeral

A Panakhyda prayer service was held at Newediuk Funeral Home on Sunday, May 29 at 7:00 p.m. Sisters Servants from Toronto, Montreal and Ancaster, family members, Sister Servant Associates and parishioners came to pray for the repose of Sister Alexis’ soul and celebrate her life.

Sister Anne Marie Kozakewich of Toronto led the rosary before the prayer service and Sister Christine Dudych of Ancaster led the singing of Marian hymns. Bishop John Pazak, Eparch of the Slovaks, officiated at the Pankhyda, assisted by Toronto clergy Mitrat Father John Tataryn, Mitrat Father Joseph Zyla, Father Boniface Malowany, OSBM, Vicar General; Father Myron Chimy, OSBM, Superior; Father Mathew Drury, OSBM; Father Renaldo Kekis, Father Ostap Chorniy and Father Oleh Kachur. Cantor Oleh Bych led the singing of the Panakhyda.

Father Mitrat John Tataryn gave the eulogy, sharing with those present the many ways in which Sister Alexis used her talents to bring glory to God, serve her religious community and Church and help others in need. Hers was a life of dedication to God’s Kingdom by service, prayer and by offering her sufferings. All her life she strove to say “Yes” to God, even to the end, patiently bearing her illness.

On Monday, May 30, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. the Requiem Divine Liturgy was celebrated at the Mount Mary Retreat Centre Chapel, Ancaster, ON by Toronto Eparch Bishop Stephen Chmilar. Assisting him were Father Mitrat Roman Pankiw of Mississauga, Father Basil Cembalista, OSBM, of Toronto, Father Andrii Lopatniuk of Hamilton, Father Renaldo Kekis of Toronto, Father Andrew Czarnyj of Brantford, Father Ihor Panchyshyn of Toronto. Provincial Superior Sister Theresa, Sisters Servants from Toronto, Ancaster and Montreal, SSMI Associates and members of Sister Alexis’ family were present to bid her final farewell. Provincial Councillor Sister Christina Syrotynsky led the rosary before the liturgy. Sister Christine Dudych of Mount Mary led the singing and Vice-Provincial Sister Patricia Lacey read the Epistle.

In his homily, Bishop Stephen thanked Sister Alexis for her service to the Church, especially as a dedicated educator in Catholic schools in Canada and the USA. He paid tribute to her willingness to serve wholeheartedly after she left the classroom at the Sister Servant missions in Europe, at Munich and Lourdes and in Toronto. She touched the hearts of many that she encountered in her life journey, sharing with them her love of Christ and His Blessed Mother. Bishop Stephen thanked her in a special way for her prayers of intercession for bishops and priests. At the top of her prayer list were her two nephews, Fathers Eugene and David, for whom she interceded daily.

Bishop Stephen concluded his homily by expressing gratitude to all the Sisters Servants who have served and continue to serve in the Toronto Eparchy in so many different ways, using their God-given talents for God’s glory and the good of all.

After the Requiem Divine Liturgy, Sister Alexis was interred at the Sisters’ Mount Mary Cemetery on the grounds of Mount Mary. The cross bearer was Sister Teresa Lesyk of Mount Mary. The pallbearers were Provincial Councillor Sister Christina Syrotynsky, Nadia Tkaczuk and Charlene Belay, Adam Stutz, Jan Rinik, Chris Ciampichini, and family members Ron and Mildred Heinrich and Chris Nazar. As she was escorted out of the chapel, the students of Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School of Burlington, with chaplain, Fr. Michael Loza, stood as an honour guard, having heard of her many years as a teacher. After the prayers of interment, the Sisters sang the Sister Servant community hymn at the graveside.

The memorial meal was served in the Mount Mary Retreat Centre dining room. After the meal, Provincial Superior Sister Theresa shared the highlights of Sister Alexis’ life. As her strength failed she offered her prayers for the needs of the Sisters Servants, the Church, Ukraine and her family. Her daily prayer was that all who were to die that night would be in the state of grace.

Sister Theresa thanked Bishop Stephen and the priests who came to celebrate the Requiem Divine Liturgy and offer their prayers for the repose of her soul. She thanked the pallbearers and those who came for the requiem services for Sister Alexis, in particular the family members. She thanked Sister Patricia Lacey, the Sisters at Mount Mary and the lay staff for their generous assistance and service. She thanked Mike and John Newediuk of Newediuk Funeral Home in Toronto for assisting so attentively and generously with the funeral arrangements.