Sister Mary Doloria Sawyer (Szwaja)

Sister Mary Doloria Sawyer (Szwaja) 1917-2011 Felician Franciscan, Sister Mary Doloria Sawyer (Szwaja) passed away at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent on Thursday, March 24, 2011. Born in Chicago, IL to Joseph and Mary Pawlak Szwaja she received the name Virginia Anne at her Baptism. Following her elementary school graduation, she entered Hubbard High School in Chicago, IL, in 1931 and transferred to Mother of Good Counsel High School in 1933. On July 29, 1935, she took the step of entering the Felician Franciscan Congregation at Mother of Good Counsel Convent in Chicago, IL. Sister Doloria joined the ranks of Felician educators in 1937 at St. Jacob Elementary School in Chicago, where she taught fourth grade for ten years. 1948 marked the year when the Felician Sisters started their westward movement and Sister Doloria was chosen to teach fourth grade at St. Joseph Elementary School in Pomona, CA. In 1951 she was transferred to Pomona Catholic High School to teach business classes. This she did with exceptional skills until 1966 when she became principal of the High School. She held this post until 1972 when she served as Assistant Dean and business teacher at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, CA. In 1976 sister was once again asked to serve as principal, this time at Holy Angels Elementary School in Arcadia. In 1986 sister ended her California era and moved to Fort Worth, TX, where for the next six years, she worked at Bishop Nolan High School as Secretary, Testing Co-coordinator, Guidance Department Member, and Chronicler for the high school. In 1991 Sister Doloria was transferred to the Provincial House of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Rio Rancho, NM, where for the next fourteen years sister ministered as Vicar, Associate Archivist, Receptionist, Treasurer and Moderator and later Co-moderator of the Felician Sisters Ladies’ Auxiliary. Throughout these years and to the end of her life, sister continued to craft. She was best known for her story-tellers and angels crafted from Sculpy clay and for all her wonderful and countless knit and crochet items. Sister will be remembered for her great sense of humor through which she brought much joy to the lives of others. Throughout her times of illness, she was a tower of strength for others in spite of her own suffering. Sister was preceded in death by her parents and her brothers Charles and Joseph Szwaja and her sisters Lucille Zeleckis and Dolores McKittrick. She is survived by her sister Helene Coffman of Fairfield Bay, A Rosary and Wake Services will be held at the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent Chapel, 4210 Meadowlark Lane SE, Rio Rancho, NM on Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 7:00 pm. Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 9:00 am at the same location. Interment will follow at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Albuquerque, NM. Sister Mary Doloria Sawyer’s care has been entrusted to: Daniels Family Funeral Services Sara Road Chapel 4310 Sara Road SE Rio Rancho, New Mexico 87124 505-892-9920