Today, October 10th, is the feast day of Bl. Mary Angela Truszkowska, the founder of the Felician Sisters. Drawn to the care of others from a young age, Bl. Mary Angela devoted her life to the care of the vulnerable in Poland and by extension to the orphaned children in rural Polish communities in America.
By age 23, Sophia Truszkowska felt an increased longing to do the will of God and became a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. She was drawn to help the poor and destitute and that desire only increased over time. This desire of her culmintated when she dedicated herself before an icon of Our Lady of Czestochowa, along with her cousin Clothilde, “to do the will of God in all things.” This is considered the founding day of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice.
St. Felix
Blessed Mary Angela had a special devotion to St. Felix of Cantalice, a Capuchin Franciscan who had a particular love and attention to children. St. Felix was a personal friend of St. Philip Neri and led an active-contemplative life teaching children in Rome. Thus, she named her congregation of sisters after St. Felix and began to devote her entire life not only to the forgotten children of Poland, but also the less fortunate and homeless of the city.
Pioneers in America
Quickly after the founding of the Felician Sisters, they were asked to minister to the needs of rural children throughout Poland. They did this very successfully and were well known for their good work. As a result, it was no surprise when the pastor at Sacred Heart Parish in Polonia, Wisconsin, Father Joseph Dabrowski, sent a letter to Krakow to invite the Sisters of St. Felix to come and send a few of their sisters from Poland to Central Wisconsin. The sisters accepted the challenge and in 1874 five of them made the arduous journey and became the first Polish religious sisters in the United States. As they left Krakow they were blessed by Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, who heartily approved the new mission.
Her work continues to the present day. As of 2005, there were 2,000 professed members of the Felician Sisters. The community ministers throughout the world and continues to advocate for the poor and vulnerable of society.
At the beatification of Blessed Mary Angela, Pope John Paul II said: “Blessed Mary Angela’s life was marked with love. She was concerned about all people: those hungry for bread, the heartbroken, the homeless, and those hungering for the truth of the Gospel.”
May Blessed Mary Angela be an example to us all of service to the poor and most vulnerable of society.
God our Father,
we praise and thank you
for the gift of Blessed Mary Angela,
who lived your will in faith and trust,
and lived your love in service to others.
I pray, in confidence, that through her intercession
you will grant me the favor which I request.
I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.