November 25, 1947 — August 24, 2026
Sister Mary Lauren, formerly Frances Ann Lapinski, was born on November 25, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois to Adolph and Helen Lapinski. Frances would be their only surviving child. Her brother, Larry, who was born prematurely, survived only a few days, having been christened just before his death. This baby brother made Frances feel she had her own personal saint.
Frances experienced a medical issue early in her childhood, when at the tender age of five, she needed to have kidney stones removed and had to have a stent inserted within her right kidney. In May of that same year, she received her first Holy Communion at St. Bartholomew Parish. Frances lost her best friend while in the 3rd grade there, who died prematurely of leukemia. Then in the Fall of 1956 she needed to have her own left kidney removed. It didn’t seem to slow her down any, since this was also the year she joined the Girl Scouts. Then on November 5, 1958, she was confirmed.
Although Frances was terrified of her 7th grade Sister, she admired her as a great math teacher, “even though she filled her with fear …“ (quoted directly from Frances’ own words)! Her eighth-grade Sister fortunately restored her fondness for women religious, she openly declared. Then one day, her parish priest came to speak to the eighth graders about religious vocations. That experience started her thinking about that as a life choice. In September 1961, Frances began her days at Good Counsel High School. She enjoyed her years there saying that she learned a lot, made many friends and valued the togetherness experienced there. It was at the beginning of her senior year that she decided definitively to enter religious life. Although at first uncertain about this choice, she was given courage when she decided that “Sisters are humans and Christians in the fullest sense of the word.”
Upon entering the Felician Sisters, Francis Ann received the name Sr. Mary Lauren. She was, indeed, well-educated, having achieved a Bachelor’s Degree of Science (Psychology), a Master of Arts degree in Human Services and Counseling and subsequent Certifications in Religious Formation, Alcoholism Counseling and literally hundreds of Continuing Education units from various providers including Felician College, Loyola University and De Paul. She received honors and high honors from all of the schools she attended.
Her years of ministry were also varied. From 1968 through 1975 she served as an elementary school teacher in various grades. Then Sr. Lauren ministered as a high school counselor until 1984 when she served as Vocation Minister until 1988. From 1990 through 1998 she was responsible for the care of her mother, while still working for the community.
Sister Lauren was involved with preparation of parish liturgy, served as Eucharistic Minister, worked with parish staffs and even managed to chair the Chicago Archdiocesan Parish Council.
When her mother died in 1998, she not only settled her estate, but helped to move and aid numerous elderly with medical bills, did substitute teaching and taught an after-school computer program. She then entered a two-month sabbatical program.
Sister Lauren’s full list of ministries would also have to include: grade school teacher, high school teacher, counselor, director of vocations and affiliates, postulants and pre-tertians, local minister, worker in the finance office, archivist, prayer ministry, and finally, the ministry of presence, very near the end of her life.
Sister Lauren wants us to know that she stood up for justice by emailing letters to change policies and to be a voice for the poor all her life.
Speaking more personally of her life, Sr. Lauren says of herself that she especially enjoyed teaching the Good Counsel girls, watching them grow through their four years. She loved taking them on camping trips, along with Sr. Carole Mary Capoun, to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. It was on one of those trips that she and Sr. Carole had to find refuge by climbing up a tree as they ran from “Brother Bear,” a story she often liked to share. She was a true lover of nature and all of creation, and so was very much a woman filled with the spirit of St. Francis.
Sister Lauren wants us to understand that she had prayer and suffering as her ministry, especially toward the end of her life.
And finally, Sister Mary Lauren wants all of us, in her very own words, to be able to say of her, “She was, indeed, a very nice Sister!”
