July 3, 1969 — January 19, 2025
Sister Maria Honorata, the former Katarzyna Grzeszczuk, was born on July 3, 1969, in Warsaw, Poland, the first of three children of Mieczysław and Janina née Kruszewska. Katarzyna was followed by two brothers, Pawel and Piotr.
Katarzyna was baptized in Warsaw on August 3, 1969, in the parish church of Our Lady Queen of Poland. This Church is attached to the Felician Sisters’ convent. She received the sacrament of Confirmation in the same parish church on October 19, 1985. After her Confirmation, she became a member of the youth Charismatic Movement. In 1976, she completed her primary and secondary education in Warsaw. Already in secondary school, she was interested in physics.
On September 8, 1988, Katarzyna joined the Felician Congregation, and on October 4 of that year, she was accepted into the postulancy. The following year, on August 11, she began her novitiate and received the name Sister Mary Honorata. She made her first profession of vows on August 3, 1991, and her perpetual vows on August 3, 1997.
After her first profession, Sister was sent to do catechetical work in Kołobrzeg and then to Łódź. From 1998 to 2003, she taught physics at the Felician Primary School, Junior High, and High School while also serving as local minister of the community of Blessed Mary Angela Convent. In 2003, she was sent to work as a catechist at the public Primary School in Marysin Wawerski. During this time, she served the sisters of the community of Saint Joseph Convent as local minister.
Throughout her years in religious life, she continued her education. In 1994, she completed three years of higher vocational studies in the field of catechesis at the Theological College of the Koszalin-Kołobrzeg Diocese. From 1994 to 1999, she studied for a Master’s degree in the Faculty of Physics and Chemistry at the University of Lodz, which she completed in 1999 with a Master’s degree in physics, specializing in teaching. Sister Honorata studied English. She also participated in spirituality sessions at the Salvatorian Spirituality Center to study Formation and the Jesuit “School of Formators” at the Ignatianum Higher School of Philosophy and Pedagogy in Krakow.
In 2005, she became the Director of temporary professed Sisters for two years in the Warsaw province. She loved the Sisters entrusted to her care and cared deeply about their spiritual and personal lives. She was later sent to work as a catechist among primary school students. At the same time, she served as the local minister of the Saint. Stanislaus community in Warsaw’s Wola district.
Sister Honorata was an extremely intelligent, brilliant person who performed many tasks in many fields and scientific disciplines, such as theology and catechesis, psychology and therapy, physics, and astronomy.
Sister Mary Rafaela Kazaryn, Sister Honorata’s dear friend for many years, said that Sister Honorata saw God’s Will in every situation, decision and assignment. In imitation of her patron, Blessed Father Honorat Kozminski, whom she loved dearly, she wanted to live God’s Will and walk God’s path in her life.
In 2009, Sister Honorata discerned that God was calling her to transfer to the North American Province. It is often attributed to Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, foundress of the Felician Sisters, that Angela wished that she could multiply herself a thousand times and travel to all parts of the world, to live God’s Love, and speak of His merciful Love to all of humanity. Sister Honorata shared this aspect of the legacy of Blessed Angela. Sister Honorata truly utilized her talents in her native Poland, but she seemed to blossom in the Love of the Lord in America, accomplishing so much in 15 years.
First, she was assigned to Saint Stanislaus Convent in 2010, and her mission was twofold. In the parish, she would offer counseling and spiritual direction to the Polish people, visit the sick, and offer Bible classes in the Polish language. At the same time, she spent several days a week ministering to the people at the Immigrant Detention Center in Elizabeth. She used public transportation to get back and forth, making her days quite long.
In 2012, Sister Honorata joined Felician University as an adjunct professor of mathematics. She became a full-time assistant professor in 2018. Sister Honorata, a dedicated scholar and teacher, still found time to achieve two personal goals. She studied for her American citizenship and attended Seton Hall University for doctoral studies. In 2018 she was awarded her Ph.D. summa cum laude, with highest honors. The awarding of American citizenship, which took place on April 15, 2019, does not recognize honors. Still, Sister Honorata was probably as proficient in her study of American history and the Constitution as any native- born American. In the midst of studies and her ministries, she also was eager to see if she had any relatives in the United States of America. She used the available computer services that helped her in this quest.
Sister Honorata was promoted to Associate Dean and Assistant Professor of Natural Sciences at Felician University on July 1, 2022. Sister was awarded a promotion in rank to Associate Professor on July 1, 2024. She served as Acting Dean until June of 2024.
All her time-consuming responsibilities at the University did not prevent her from participating fully in her Felician community life. She often assisted at house meetings by presenting splendid reflections on our Felician Constitutions. Her presentations included pictures on the third-floor meeting room-wide screens. She belonged to provincial committees, often driving to meeting destinations rather than going by plane. She took part in provincial chapters and volunteered for provincial committees.
One of the greatest gifts Sister Honorata gave the Sisters of Our Lady of Hope Province was sharing the charism of Blessed Angela with others. Dr. Michael Markowitz, Ph.D., wrote to Sister Honorata to inform her of her promotion to the rank of associate professor and said, “…The promotion speaks volumes about the ways in which your interactions with students and faculty alike have been recognized as a model of our Felician Core Values and Franciscan understanding of living in right relationships with everyone. It is also a validation and recognition of your ongoing contributions to scholarship in your field.”
After a presentation on Blessed Angela to the faculty and staff of Immaculate Conception High School in 2015, one of the attendees wrote, “I am amazed at what Sister Honorata explained…that Blessed Angela was able to implement a whole new concept of her vocation – that of looking outward, rather than inward …”
That is not all. In February of 2023, Sister Honorata was a presenter at the American Association of Physics Teachers for their winter meeting in Portland, Oregon. She told them she had made a career of reconciling science and faith. Also, in 2023, Sister Honorata authored a physics workbook for college students. It was published by Kendall Hunt Publishing Company. Sister Honorata’s computer skills were amazing.
In the summer of 2024, Sister Honorata went to Poland to visit her dear mother, who was a cancer patient. She did not realize that this would be her last visit to Poland and her farewell to her mother. In the fall of 2024, Jesus, her Spouse, called her to take up the greatest ministry of all, suffering as He did. She had to submit her resignation to Felician University for health reasons. The major part of the ministry year Sister Honorata spent in hospitals and rehabs, often suffering intense pain because of cancer.
Her Felician Sisters now ministered to her, especially Sister Elizabeth Marie Morley, local minister, and Sister Maria Rafaela Kazaryn, her “grono” member from Warsaw, who came to spend several weeks with Sister Honorata. Finally, Jesus came to comfort her. The beautiful picture of Jesus on your program cover inspired Sister Honorata that truly Jesus was giving her a special hug for all of her devotion as a Daughter of Blessed Angela.
In October 2024, Sister Danat Marie Brysch, Minister General, asked the congregation to pray for Sister Honorata to be healed of cancer. Prayers were fervently said throughout the world by the Felician Sisters and Associates. But as Mother Angela always taught her daughters, God’s will must be done.
On Sunday, January 19, at 9:50 p.m., Jesus, our Lord and Redeemer came to Sister Honorata to end her suffering and to give her an eternal hug and lasting happiness in heaven. You can be sure that Sister Honorata is busy in heaven, interceding for all who knew her, especially her family, the Felician Sisters, and Felician University.
Sister Mary Honorata Grzeszczuk died at the age of 55, having dedicated 35 years of her life to being a Felician Sister. She was predeceased by her father, Mieczyslaw, and is survived by her mother, Janina, and her brothers, Pawel and Piotr, all of Warsaw, Poland. She is also survived by her Felician Sisters worldwide and by her revered colleagues and beloved students of Felician University.
Her funeral Mass took place on January 29, 2025, and she was buried in the convent cemetery in Lodi, as she had wished.
