Submitted by: Dan Rich

Sister M. Rodricia Gonsiorowska CSFN

Aug. 14, 1907 - Jan. 2, 1999

South Bend Tribune 1/9/1999

Sister M. Rodricia Gonsiorowska, CSFN, 91, whom God called home in the early morning of Saturday, Jan. 2, was born on Aug. 14, 1907, and was baptized a day later, on the Feast of the Assumption, at St. Hedwig Church, South Bend, Ind. At the time of her death she resided at the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Des Plains, Ill., a congregation to which she belonged for 73 years.

She was the ninth of the ten children of Joseph and Mary Gonsiorowski, who had both emigrated from Poland. Following her graduation from St. Joseph Academy in South Bend, Sister Rodricia entered the congregation on Feb. 2, 1926. After her novitiate and years in temporary vows, she made her perpetual profession in Rome on June 3, 1934.

From her first teaching assignment at Assumption BVM School in Chicago, Ill., until her last at Holy Family Academy in 1988, Sister ministered as a teacher for almost 60 years, with the exception of approximately three years when she was studying in Poland and in Rome preparing for her perpetual vows. Twenty-six of those teaching years were spent at Holy Family Academy where she had been assigned three different times. She also taught and was the parish organist at St. Hyacinth for 14 years, spent two years in Dallas, Texas, and a little less than one year at St. Ann. In 1988 Sister Rodricia was transferred to St. Ladislaus. Here she helped out in school and continued to give piano lessons and arrange recitals for her budding artists. Sr. Rodricia was fond of saying, with a shy smile: ''I have two loves - God and music - in that order.'' We naturally think of the glory of music when we recall Sister Rodricia. Her music degrees from DePaul and Notre Dame universities gave her the professional competence for her work, and her own love for music gave her the impetus to use her gifts for God's glory.

She certainly excelled in this - playing the piano and organ, praising God with her beautiful voice, directing the provincial choir and choral groups, conducting the band, putting on countless musical programs, and coaxing latent talent out of many an aspiring musician at Holy Family Academy.

Her brothers and sisters, all now deceased: Mary (Jack) Gapski, Stanley, Sylvester, Aloysius, Valeria (Ernest) Tully, Bernadine (Cesario), Edmund (Olive), Hillary and Benedicata Kaczmarek.

A funeral Mass was held on Tuesday, Jan. 5, at the Provinciate in Des Plaines, Ill. Interment was at All Saints Cemetery