
June 16, 1923 — December 19, 2024
Sister Paul Marie Pietroczynski, 101, died in Mother of Good Counsel Convent, Chicago, Illinois, after 82 years in religious life.
Sister Paul Marie was born in Chicago, Illinois, on June 16, 1923. She was the oldest of four children, born to Xavier and Cunegunde Pietroczynski. At her Baptism in St. Stanislaus Parish Church on July 4, 1923, she was given the name Stella.
In 1939, Stella entered the aspirancy of the Felician Sisters. After completing her high school education at Good Counsel High School, she was accepted into the Postulancy in 1942 and later given the religious name of Sister Mary Pulveria at her Investiture on August 12, 1943. She made her Final Profession on August 22, 1950. In 1968, she requested her religious name be changed to Sister Paul Marie.
Following her Novitiate, Sister Paul Marie accepted positions of teaching and administration in Felician staffed schools in the States of Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Alabama. Her longest teaching experience as well as that of Administration, was in Our Lady of the Gardens on the far south side of Chicago. At this all-Black populated school, she spent 15 years meeting the challenges before her, bringing Christ to the children and a devotion of faith to the parents. She brought out the best in the students and encouraged them to succeed for a future of pride. She was very solicitous to the children making sure that if they came to school hungry, they could always come to her for at least a piece of bread. She took great pride in knowing that she might have been influential in the vocation to the priesthood of Bishop Joseph Perry, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Chicago, and continued to stay connected with him through the years. Her frequent wish was that he celebrates her Mass of Resurrection.
From 2004 through 2017, Sister Paul Marie was active in the Mercy Boys & Girls Home Phone Ministry, where she graciously called donors to thank them for their support of the home with their monetary contributions and also to call them with birthday greetings.
Her greatest gift to her family and her friends was the promise of prayer. She was most faithful as a religious to daily prayer, daily Mass and adoration. During the duration of time spent bedridden, the rosary was often in her hands. Her final years of retirement gave her the time she needed to pray for those she loved and those she knew. There were many days that one could hear Sister Paul Marie praying aloud.
Daily, she awaited receiving the Body of Christ in Holy Communion. If it happened that she dozed off during the Mass, the Eucharistic Minister would simply announce JESUS IS HERE, and her eyes may have been closed, but her mouth was open to receive the Eucharist.
She had a heart for the poor, the less fortunate, and the homeless. Whenever she could, she would offer her small portion of her budget for the cause of the relief of the needy. One could say she was a people person, with deep faith, interested in issues and concerns. She loved having a fun time with family and with the Sisters in community. She had a warm, vibrant, and hardy laugh.
In June of 2023, her two nieces Arlene and Sharon threw a party for her 100th birthday. In the community room, a small gathering of family members celebrated with cake and song.
As Sister Paul Marie’s health declined, she continued to pray, both quietly and loudly, begging God to take her to her eternal mansion. She silently pondered what she heard. On December 13, Sister Paul Marie was anointed by Father Anthony Cirignani, OFM, Chaplain, while the community of Sisters prayed at her bedside, and Sister Connie Marie renewed her vows.
Sister Paul Marie gave her last breath and a smile as she embraced the God whom she so faithfully served on December 19, 2024, in Mother of Good Counsel Convent, Chicago, Illinois. Family members, friends, and her sisters in community attended her wake and Mass of Christian Burial celebrated by Bishop Joseph Perry in the Mother of Good Counsel Chapel in Chicago, Illinois, on December 31, 2024. Her body was taken for interment to St. Adalbert Cemetery in Niles, Illinois.