News and Events: Sister Mary Petronilla

Sister Mary Petronilla was born July 19, 1910 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, one of nine children born to Julius Molesky and Petronilla Pietruseski.  Her parents immigrated to the United States from Lithuania and Poland.  Sister's first language was Polish and to the end of her life she sometimes used a Polish-language prayer book.  She was taught by Sisters of Charity of Nazareth but didn't think about a religious vocation until a priest asked her during confession.   When she became a sister, she took her mother's name for her religious name. 

She was known as a quiet, reserved, and kind person  but a demanding teacher.  She wanted the students to give their best.  She taught a variety of subjects including English, Latin, Biology, Speech, and History.  She taught in High Schools and eventually was assigned as Principal of Saint Joseph Academy when the school was first opened by the Sister of St. Joseph the Worker.  At that time there were only 4 classrooms so when Sister wanted to make an announcement she just stood in the hallway and everyone could hear her.

She rarely spoke about herself, rarely revealing personal information and spoke even less about her age. If she was celebrating a birthday, she didn’t want anyone outside the community to know about it. Ever kind and prayerful, she never complained or criticized. Mother Ellen once said that Sr. Mary Petronilla could find something nice to say about the devil.  


When she retired from teaching, she kept busy by keeping the grounds of the Motherhouse beautiful.  Despite her advancing years, she was a tireless worker. She was always outside tending the flowers.  Every year, the area for planting flowers seemed to expand. Sister enjoyed working in her greenhouse and often started her flowers from seeds. She would go outside to care for the flowers at all times and in all weather wearing old boots and an old coat she got from Sr. Patricia Jean.  She would hire boys from the school to help her with some of the more demanding jobs and give them cookies and lemonade as a snack.   When asked why she didn't get more then one boy to help her at a time she would say with a smile,  "If I hire one boy I get a days work, if I hire two boys I get a half-days work and if I hire three boys I get no work."  


When her health declined she was sent to Taylor Manor to live.  She died on December 29,2000 at the age of 90.