Sr. Mary Felicita (Paulina Borowik)

She was born on September 30, 1905 in Rudno in the Lublin region at that time under Russian rule. Nine days after giving birth to Paulina her mother passed away. Family members took over the responsibility for raising Paulina and her siblings. Paulina did not attend school but helped with housekeeping. Before entering the Congregation she belonged to the Third Congregation of Saint Francis. She was accepted in the Congregation in March of 1932 in Kalisz. She completed her novitiate in Grodno, and in January of 1935 she made her first vows. From there she was sent to serve in Nowogrodek where she was assigned a duty that, as Sister Veritas put it: “gave her much practice in humility because she was assigned as a helper to whichever sister had the most work in cleaning the dormitories and the home.” During the Soviet occupation she worked as a housekeeper in the Sisters’ school which had been transformed into a Soviet elementary school. Sister Felicita always lived in the shadow. She was little known to the residents of Nowogrodek. She was modest and humble, never imposing on anyone, always deferring to others and grateful for being accepted into the Congregation. Paulina’s shyness and humility are not surprising, considering how early she was orphaned by her mother.