Sister Pauline Zeleznik, CSJ

Pauline Zeleznik was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 9, 1929, the daughter of Joseph James and Pauline (Drabik) Zeleznik. Sister Pauline had six brothers and was the oldest of seven children.

She entered the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth on July 1, 1951 and received the name of Sister Pauline Joseph at her reception on January 3, 1952. She pronounced first vows on January 3, 1954 and final vows on January 3, 1957.

Sister Pauline graduated from St. Michael’s, Pontiac in June 1945. Her degrees were all in Chemistry. She earned a BS degree from Nazareth College in 1949, followed by a MS degree from Marquette University in 1955, and PhD degree from the University of Notre Dame in 1964.

There were brief assignments at St. David’s and St. Veronica’s. Then Sister Pauline began thirty-three years, (1954-1987) with Nazareth College, and ten years, (1987-1997) with St Mary’s College, Orchard Lake. Sister had a lifelong devotion to higher education. Two shorter experiences of special interest were teaching Chemistry at Bethlehem University in the Occupied West Bank (1986), and teaching English conversation in Kosice, Slovak Republic (1994). The latter was part of a project to help Religious Sisters in Central Europe after the fall of communism. There were shorter assignments in Zuni, New Mexico, Owosso, MI, and San Pedro Sula in Honduras. In Recent years, Sister Pauline served as Librarian in the Sisters’ Library.

Sister Pauline was most grateful to God for blessings known and unknown. Especially treasured were her Faith, good family and vocation as a Sister of St. Joseph. She rejoiced in living in a free country and prayed for it and for the entire world. Sister’s brother, Paul (Pam) Zeleznik and 13 nieces and nephews, the Sisters of St. Joseph, and countless others who received the goodness of Sister Pauline cherish and praise God for the gift of her life.

Finally, in her own words: Ever more in awe at the goodness of our Sisters!

May She Rest in Peace