Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska - Founder of the Felician Sisters.

Sophia Camille Truszkowska born prematurely on May 16, 1825 was the eldest of seven children born to Joseph and Josephine Truszkowski in Kalisz, Poland. With the care and love of her family, she grew to be a lively, inquisitive youngster, observant of all people and events around her.

As Sophia grew in age and knowledge she desired to devote herself to a cause to help others. Sophia had frail health and spent some time in Switzerland to nurse a serious lung condition. It was during this time spent in the silence of the majesty of God’s creation that she developed a spirit of contemplative prayer. She nurtured a call to a life of consecration to God and planned to enter religious life in the Visitation Order. Her parents withheld permission.

As time passed her father’s health failed and Sophia accompanied him to Germany for treatment. While in Cologne, she came to a gradual awareness in her prayer that her mission was to go beyond the solitude of a cloistered life. She became more alert to the social injustices invading Poland and realized the need for religious instruction and active charity among the people.

When she returned home her relationship with God became deeper and more grounded. She sought spiritual direction and enrolled in the Society of St. Vincent De Paul, actively seeking to improve the lives of others, supporting her daily activity with time in prayer seeking spiritual strength.

For five years she walked among the poor and ministered to their physical and spiritual needs and in 1854 she leased a two room garret where she was able to shelter the children and widowed homeless she had gathered. She set up a program of education to meet their needs. Volunteers of young women soon flooded the garret room. Sophia’s charity assumed the character of a home and educational center for girls. It became known as the Institute of Miss Truszkowska.

As her presence became more needed at the Institute, her family accepted her physical separation from them. She moved to the Institute and became a member of the Third Order of St. Francis on May 27, 1855 beginning her novitiate in the Third Order as Sister Angela. “Praise Him as much as you can” became her motto for her way of life.

Her soul grew and expanded in God’s love and service under the direction of the Capuchin friars. Father Honorat Kozminski, a young Capuchin priest was appointed director of the Third Order and in this capacity directed the soul of Sister Angela for the next ten years.

Her cousin, Clothilde Ciechanowska joined with her in this venture from the beginning. On November 21, 1855, they pronounced a promise to commit their lives to Jesus. In this simple ceremony the first Felician community came into existence. This date has remained the official founding date of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Felix of Cantalice (Felician Sisters).

As the community grew with members from its volunteer corps it evolved into a congregation, modeling its contemplative-active life on Saint Felix, the first canonized saint of the Capuchin Order. Shortly thereafter Bishop Szymanski, one of the Capuchin priests approached Mother about affiliation with the Capuchin community entitling the sisters to wear the Franciscan habit as a sign of their religious consecration.

The Investiture ceremony of ten novices took place on Good Friday, April 10, 1857. The novices received a white veil over a linen head covering, a gray scapular and habit, a coarse hemp rope cincture, a wooden crucifix suspended on a tape around the neck, and the Franciscan crown of wooden beads commemorating the seven joys of Mary. On July 9, 1857, four novices closed this phase of Felician formation when they pronounced a formula of promises composed by the Foundress herself. By the beginning of 1858 there were 30 Sisters in the congregation with 25 aspirants waiting to begin their postulancy.

Benefactors came forward to help the new community find land and buildings to shelter the works of the institute. In time day care centers were opened in the rural areas of Poland. Retreat work was also conducted in the Motherhouse.

From the very beginning of the congregation Mother Angela discerned that there were sisters with a vocation to the contemplative life and so two choirs were formed: Choir I for the contemplative, cloistered branch and Choir II for active Sisters. Mother Angela was chosen for Choir I and gave spiritual direction to both groups from the cloister.

Due to political strife and insurrections, the community was disbanded and sent into exile in December, 1864. Areas of Poland, including Warsaw, were under Russian rule and religious communities in active ministry were not permitted to exist nor were they allowed religious garb. Several Sisters banded together to practice religious life in secret. They were able to remain in communication with Mother Angela from the cloister where she was permitted to remain with the contemplative group. In 1873 the contemplative Sisters assumed a new title, the Capuchin Sisters of St. Felix and became independent of the Felician congregation.

In September, 1865 the Sisters were allowed to regroup in southeastern Poland and a novitiate and central house were formed in Cracow, Poland. Mother Angela rejoined the active Sisters in Cracow at this period of the fledgling community’s history. It was a time of great rejoicing and is remembered to this day each year in the community with a novena of “Magnificat” before September 8th the feast of Mary’s Nativity in thanksgiving to God for this grace.

The community grew and flourished, expanding all over Poland. The Sisters were sent to the villages to instruct people in Christian Doctrine, reading, math and basic hygienic practices. Residences were established for young women who came to work in the cities. The Sisters became nurses to help care for the wounded in the wars and to give much needed medical care to the poor and elderly.

Mother Angela petitioned Rome to give papal approval to the congregation and before her death she received the Decree of Praise which gave protection to the community and authorized it to continue its works with the blessing of the Church.

Eventually, Reverend Joseph Dombrowski wrote to Mother Angela, requesting that the Sisters come to America to work with the Polish immigrants in Polonia, Wisconsin. On November 21, 1874 five Sisters arrived in Polonia to begin their American mission.

The Congregation attracted many young women to its ranks and the first convents were founded in areas where Polish immigrants were settling down. The first American province came into being in Detroit, Michigan and other provinces were formed from this seedling. The Sisters went from Detroit, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois to Buffalo, New York to Lodi, New Jersey to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania to Enfield, Connecticut to Mississauga, Ontario, Canada to Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

This small seed planted by Mother Angela in Poland took root in three provinces in Poland: Warsaw, Cracow and Przemysl; in eight provinces in North America and in Curitiba, Brazil in South America. Today there is a Generalate in Rome, Italy and foundations in Kenya, Africa, the Amazon region in South America, Mexico, and areas of the Ukraine and Russia.

Throughout her life Mother Angela suffered physical distress especially with her hearing. She became deaf at an early age and eventually resigned from active leadership because of this infirmity. For the last thirty years of her life, Mother Angela also suffered a spiritual trial of the dark night of the soul. This purging of her spirit only gave her greater beauty and grace and allowed her to give wisdom and strength to her community.

On October 10, 1899, Mother Mary Angela Truszkowska quietly surrendered her soul to the Creator who so lovingly guided and nourished her throughout her life. She was surrounded by her loving spiritual daughters.

On April 18, 1993, Mother Mary Angela Truszkowska became Blessed Mary Angela when she was beatified by John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square. Her feast is celebrated on October 10.