1ST PROFESSION OF VOWS
The first profession of religious vows of Sr. Theophana Grace (Keli Jo) Conner and Sr. Raphael Marie (Catherine) Federline took place on Tuesday, June 24, 2025, in a Holy Mass of religious profession held at St. Francis Xavier Church in Cresson, Pennsylvania. The celebrant was Most Reverend Bishop Mark L Bartchak, JCD and the homilist was Fr. Stephen Mary Waruszewski TOR. The homilist spoke about consecrated life in the light of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical Vita Consecrata and about the evangelical counsels, particularly emphasizing the vow of poverty as reflected in the wounds of Christ and the Lord’s willingness to be wounded for love of us. Two novices, Sr. Theophana Grace and Sr. Raphael Marie, made first profession into the hands of the Provincial Superior, Mother Mary Joseph Calore, SSCJ, as witnessed by Provincial Assistant and Superior Sr. Klara Slonina and Provincial Assistant and Superior Sr. Maria Kotch. First Councilor Sr. Vic. Ryszarda Wittbrodt assisted in clothing the newly professed.
Sr. Theophana Grace (Keli Jo) Conner was born in Houston, Texas, USA on November 26, 1988, one of five children born to Dean and Krystal (Gregory) Conner. Prior to entering religious life, she worked as a teacher for mentally retarded children and as a dance instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, Kinesiology, Health and Human Promotion from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Sr. Raphael Marie (Catherine Federline) was born on January 16, 1998, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, USA, one of five children born to David and Raissa (Penkert) Federline. Prior to entering religious life, she worked as a lay missionary for National Evangelization Team engaged in parish missionary work. She holds a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in educational administration from Franciscan University of Steubenville.
The Mass of religious profession was attended by over 18 priests of various dioceses, several religious order priests, as well as seminarians, our Sisters, the families and friends of the newly professed, and several young women who are considering religious life.
The Bishop’s Secretary for Communications filmed the profession and his office photograhed the occasion. It was a great joy for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown because the novices are well-known from various interviews on diocesan television and Sr. Angela Marie Igou, the novice mistress, is a native of the diocese.
A dinner for the occasion was held afterward in the church hall at St. Francis Xavier in Cresson.
Sr. Theophana Grace (Keli Jo) Conner was born in Houston, Texas, USA on November 26, 1988, one of five children born to Dean and Krystal (Gregory) Conner. Prior to entering religious life, she worked as a teacher for mentally retarded children and as a dance instructor. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education, Kinesiology, Health and Human Promotion from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Sr. Raphael Marie (Catherine Federline) was born on January 16, 1998, in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, USA, one of five children born to David and Raissa (Penkert) Federline. Prior to entering religious life, she worked as a lay missionary for National Evangelization Team engaged in parish missionary work. She holds a bachelor of science degree in early childhood education and a master’s degree in educational administration from Franciscan University of Steubenville.
The Mass of religious profession was attended by over 18 priests of various dioceses, several religious order priests, as well as seminarians, our Sisters, the families and friends of the newly professed, and several young women who are considering religious life.
The Bishop’s Secretary for Communications filmed the profession and his office photograhed the occasion. It was a great joy for the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown because the novices are well-known from various interviews on diocesan television and Sr. Angela Marie Igou, the novice mistress, is a native of the diocese.
A dinner for the occasion was held afterward in the church hall at St. Francis Xavier in Cresson.
50TH JUBILEE OF SR. MARIA (PATRICIA) KOTCH, SSCJ
Sr. Maria (Patricia) Kotch, local superior of the USA province house community, celebrated her 50th Jubilee of Religious Profession on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at the Province chapel in Cresson, Pennsylvania, with a Mass of Thanksgiving offered by Fr. Ananias Buccicone, OSB and a dinner at the John Paul II Manor, adjacent to the province house. The day also marked what would have been the 99th birthday of the late Mother Amabilis Debicka who received Sr. Maria into our Congregation and was her mistress throughout her years of formation, therefore Sr. Maria asked that a birthday cake in honor of Mother Amabilis would be served at her celebration dinner.
On Saturday, June 14, 2025, Sr. Maria (Patricia) Kotch, local superior of the province house community, observed her golden jubilee of religious profession at the Province house in Cresson, Pennsylvania. The Jubilee observance included a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving offered by Fr. Ananias Buccicone, OSB, pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in Patton, Pennsylvania, joined by concelebrant Msgr. Bernard Przybocki, chaplain of the John Paul II Manor, following by a dinner.
Sisters gathered in the community room of the province house where Mother Provincial Mary Joseph Calore greeted Sr. Superior Maria and, together with Sr. Vicaress Ryszarda Wittbrodt, gave Sr. Superior Maria the crown signifying the heavenly crown that awaits the faithful religious in the life to come. Mother reminded the Sisters that the day was also the 99th birthday of the late Mother Amabilis Debicka, Sr. Maria’s formator and first superior, who had first given Sister Maria a crown at her first profession 50 years before, June 29, 1975. What is more, Mother shared that at Sr. Maria’s investiture before novitiate, Mother Amabilis had even bestowed the holy habit on Sr. Maria from her sickbed, where Mother was recuperating from a surgery. Mother Amabilis was such a good mother in guiding Sister in her vocation, therefore it was fitting that Sister’s golden jubilee was celebrated on Mother Amaiblis’ birthday.
During the Mass of Thanksgiving for the religious jubilee, Father Ananias, OSB, a Benedictine monk, spoke about the virtue of monastic perseverance, and about the transforming nature of common life. Father Ananias expressed the wish, to everyone’s amusement, that Sr. Superior will die very much to herself in the years ahead.
Sr. Maria chose many of her favorite hymns to be sung prior to the Jubilee Mass and she asked the celebrant to offer the Jubilee Mass as a Votive Mass in honor of the Most Blessed Virgin, Mother of Mercy.
After the Holy Mass, a very American cook-out dinner of hotdogs, hamburgers, with Polish kielbasa was held on the new patio of the John Paul II Manor, adjacent to the province house, attended by nearly all Sisters of the Province and members of Sr. Maria’s family.
Sr. Superior Maria (Patricia) Kotch was from Windber, Pennsylvania, not far from the Province house, where her Slovak family members worked as coal miners. She entered teh community with proficiency in cooking, and for many years of her religious life, Sr. Superior Maria Kotch was a cook in the community, as well as a catechist for many years for First Communion children.
On Saturday, June 14, 2025, Sr. Maria (Patricia) Kotch, local superior of the province house community, observed her golden jubilee of religious profession at the Province house in Cresson, Pennsylvania. The Jubilee observance included a Holy Mass of Thanksgiving offered by Fr. Ananias Buccicone, OSB, pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in Patton, Pennsylvania, joined by concelebrant Msgr. Bernard Przybocki, chaplain of the John Paul II Manor, following by a dinner.
Sisters gathered in the community room of the province house where Mother Provincial Mary Joseph Calore greeted Sr. Superior Maria and, together with Sr. Vicaress Ryszarda Wittbrodt, gave Sr. Superior Maria the crown signifying the heavenly crown that awaits the faithful religious in the life to come. Mother reminded the Sisters that the day was also the 99th birthday of the late Mother Amabilis Debicka, Sr. Maria’s formator and first superior, who had first given Sister Maria a crown at her first profession 50 years before, June 29, 1975. What is more, Mother shared that at Sr. Maria’s investiture before novitiate, Mother Amabilis had even bestowed the holy habit on Sr. Maria from her sickbed, where Mother was recuperating from a surgery. Mother Amabilis was such a good mother in guiding Sister in her vocation, therefore it was fitting that Sister’s golden jubilee was celebrated on Mother Amaiblis’ birthday.
During the Mass of Thanksgiving for the religious jubilee, Father Ananias, OSB, a Benedictine monk, spoke about the virtue of monastic perseverance, and about the transforming nature of common life. Father Ananias expressed the wish, to everyone’s amusement, that Sr. Superior will die very much to herself in the years ahead.
Sr. Maria chose many of her favorite hymns to be sung prior to the Jubilee Mass and she asked the celebrant to offer the Jubilee Mass as a Votive Mass in honor of the Most Blessed Virgin, Mother of Mercy.
After the Holy Mass, a very American cook-out dinner of hotdogs, hamburgers, with Polish kielbasa was held on the new patio of the John Paul II Manor, adjacent to the province house, attended by nearly all Sisters of the Province and members of Sr. Maria’s family.
Sr. Superior Maria (Patricia) Kotch was from Windber, Pennsylvania, not far from the Province house, where her Slovak family members worked as coal miners. She entered teh community with proficiency in cooking, and for many years of her religious life, Sr. Superior Maria Kotch was a cook in the community, as well as a catechist for many years for First Communion children.