Sr. Mary Sergia (Julia Rapiej)

She was born on September 8, 1900 in the village of Rogożyna in the Augustów region under the Russian rule, into a farming family. She did not attend school as she was not adept at reading and could not write. She was accepted into the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Grodno in December of 1922 where she started her novitiate in February, 1925. In September of 1925, after a year of novitiate, she went to the United States of America with a group of sisters, and where in Des Plaines she completed her novitiate. After making her first vows she spent some time in Saint Anthony Convent in Philadelphia. There she helped with various household chores. After making her perpetual vows in April, 1932 she returned to Poland. Sister Sergia accepted this decision with great joy and she expressed her willingness to remain in Poland permanently. In response to the sisters’ concern about the situation in Poland, with the looming threat of impending war and repressions, she responded: “(…) that she is not afraid of that, that she has nothing else to give the Lord Jesus for his love, that she wants to give Him her life and is not afraid of martyrdom” (cited by Sister Edwina Malarczyk in a letter to Sister Provincial about Sister Sergia’s stay in the U.S., AG CSFN). After her return to Poland, on February 2, 1933, Sister Sergia was assigned to serve in Nowogrodek where she helped in the kitchen and at other odd jobs. During the war she helped Sister Gwidona with housekeeping. The other sisters found Sister Sergia to be first and foremost very prayerful and humble.