“Sr. Michelle is compassionate and dedicated to the mission here at SJA. She guides our teachers to understand more in depth the word of God by sharing her knowledge and with reflection practices. Working with such a caring and committed person like Sr. Michelle is so inspiring. May God bless her always and all the lives that are touched by her.” – Lucia Arboleda, Assistant Principal at St. Joseph Academy

In honor of Catholic Sisters Week (March 8-14, 2020), we wanted to spotlight the Sisters we have on staff at St. Joseph Academy (SJA). Meet Sr. Michelle Marie Konieczny, who has been at St. Joseph Academy for seven years. She has been a Felician Sister for 40 years.

Read her story below:

I have been here at St. Joseph Academy for about seven years, but this is my second time through. I was here for three years before I went to work at Ebenezer Childcare. I came back to St. Joe’s because I wanted to be with my sisters in a Felician sponsored ministry.

I have been a Sister now for 40 years and I would not change my decision about entering for anything in the world. My Sisters mean everything to me and I am happy to call myself Felician. I entered community because I enjoyed being around the Sisters I grew up with. I had Sisters all of my life, from kindergarten to college. I chose to enter the Felician Sisters because after one visit, I found I could be myself and I felt a love I never felt before.

All my years of being a Sister, I have always been in the education field. I have been a teacher for grades 3-5, a teacher of the mentally and physically challenged, and a teacher of religion. I was Director at Ebenezer Childcare here on the southside and now I am Director of Faith Formation and Mission Leader at SJA.

I love my job and everyone at SJA. I love to tease and laugh, and I love to get my mind creatively thinking around any project that comes my way. I like to do all kinds of crafts, no matter the difficulty, and I like to share my creations with those around me.