October 11, 1931 — September 8, 2024
Sister Mary Alisette, of Buffalo, NY, age 92, a Felician Sister for 75 years, entered eternal life on Sunday, September 8, 2024, in Buffalo General Hospital, Buffalo, NY.
The former Eugenia Skotnicki was born on October 11, 1931, in Buffalo, NY, and was a member of St. Florian Parish. She entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province of the Felician Sisters in Buffalo, NY, on July 16, 1949, and professed perpetual vows on August 13, 1957. She graduated from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy in Buffalo and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from Medaille (Mount St. Joseph) College, Buffalo, NY, a Master of Science in Education from State University of NY at Potsdam, and a Master of Pastoral Studies from Loyola University of Chicago, IL.
Sister Mary Alisette began her ministry as a Felician Sister in 1951 as a kindergarten teacher at St. Stanislaus Kostka School, Niagara Falls, NY. She served the Diocese of Buffalo for nineteen years, first as a teacher in area elementary schools and then as principal at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School, Depew, NY, and Fredonia Catholic School, Fredonia, NY. In the Diocese of Ogdensburg, Sister Alisette taught Grade 6 for four years at St. Peter School, Lowville, NY, and served as a principal at St. Mary School, Canton, NY, for three years. She also served as principal in the Diocese of Syracuse at Sacred Heart School, Syracuse, NY, for four years.
Sister Alisette, herself a life-long learner, was a gifted educator and wise administrator. She took advantage of every opportunity to extend her knowledge, including additional courses at State University of NY at Plattsburg, and leadership courses at St. Joseph College, West Hartford, CT. All her studies found their way into her teaching methods and her professionalism as a principal. Her open and friendly manner added to her effectiveness in all her ministries.
Always deeply involved in all aspects of Felician community life, Sister Alisette was engaged in leadership roles from 1980 to 1989 serving first as a provincial councilor and secretary and then as provincial vicar of the former Immaculate Heart of Mary Province. During these years she also ministered as Director of Formation.
Leaving the field of education in 1990, Sister Alisette’s deep love of God and enthusiastic commitment to the Church led to parish ministry. She served as a pastoral associate at St. Michael Parish, Lackawanna, NY, and then at St. George Parish, West Falls, NY. She also ministered at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Kenmore, NY, in the parish outreach program.
After nineteen years of fruitful parish ministry, Sister Alisette “reinvented” herself once again, as she shared her compassionate love and vibrant spirit with the sisters receiving health services at Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent. She was a member of the pastoral care team and later, also served as activity director until 2016. Her total availability to the sisters in her care genuinely reflected the charism and heart of Blessed Mary Angela.
In 2010, Sister Alisette was featured in an article in the Western New York Catholic during the promotion of the Retirement Fund for Religious. The subtitle for the article was Sister Alisette keeps reinventing herself to help community. In this article, the author, Patrick J. Buechi, noted, “What makes this Felician special is what makes most religious women special; the care they give does not stop at the end of the workday, or the end of the job, or the end of a career. From the classroom to the parish rectory to the infirmary, Sister Alisette has reinvented herself to take on new challenges.”
In that same article, Sister Alisette recounted an incident that occurred when she was meeting with two RCIA candidates. She told her students that “Christ comes at the most unexpected times… . We have to be ready to answer when Christ calls us in the disguised ways in which He appears.” During that discussion, a knock came at the door. There stood a man asking for assistance because his car had run out of gas, a perfect opportunity to meet Christ in need. Sister Alisette remarked, “That’s what I liked about parish ministry. You never knew where you were going to meet Christ.”
Tireless in her desire to serve, Sister Alisette continued to minister as a volunteer at the Response to Love Center and the Sister Mary Josette Food Pantry, Buffalo, NY, and at St. Mother Teresa Parish, Depew, NY. During this time, she also lovingly ministered to her sister and then her brother as their health failed. An unexpected health episode interrupted her ministry and set her on her final journey home to God. Her whole life was a ministry of presence as she communicated God’s love to every person she encountered.
Sister Alisette was ever grateful to God who “invited [her] to serve Him and His people, sustaining [her] with his abiding love.” Reflecting on her 70th anniversary of religious life, Sister Alisette stated, “Answering the call has been a grace and a privilege, as I continue the mission that has been given to me.” She ended her remarks with a quote from Dag Hammarskjold which is a perfect tribute to her indominable spirit: “For all that has been, THANKS! For all that is to come, YES!”
An Evening Prayer Service was held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 5 p.m. in the convent chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. in the convent chapel. Rev. Walter Szczesny was presider and homilist. Rev. Msgr. Richard Siepka concelebrated. Sister Alisette was buried in the Blessed Mary Angela Section, St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Cheektowaga, NY.
