Sr. Albina Gregory SSMI

January 22, 1928 – November 30, 2020

Sr. Albina Gregory, a Sister Servant of Mary Immaculate, passed away at Nyack Hospital in Nyack, NY on November 30, 2020. She was 92 years old, and 76 years in Consecrated Life.

Sr. Albina was born in Belfield, North Dakota to George and Angeline Gregory along with her four siblings. Her family belonged to Saint Demetrius Ukrainian Catholic Church. As a young farm girl, Josephine heard God’s call to Religious Life. She entered the Sisters Servants in 1944. Sr. Albina’s first mission in the U.S. was at St. Basil Seminary in Stamford, CT in 1948. She arrived in the evening not knowing where to go, and rang the doorbell of the chateau, which was answered by a young priest, Fr. Myroslav Lubachivsky, who later became Patriarch. Fr. Myroslav welcomed her warmly to Stamford and escorted her to the convent.

Sr. Albina worked and went to school in the evenings and summers, earning a Bachelor of Science in Education, preparing her for the ministry she would serve in for over 50 years, Education. She taught in many parishes throughout the United States. Sr. Albina often returned back to a parish school and taught the children of some of her former students. During many of those 50+ years, Sr. Albina was both teacher and principal. She loved teaching the little ones and her meticulous ways of doing things rubbed off on her students. Although her outward appearance seemed tough, her children loved her, as they knew she loved them and she gave them 100% in nurturing their minds, but most importantly their souls.

Sr. Albina did not retire after she taught her last class in 2002. She immediately embraced her new mission, going where the need was greatest, becoming the Administrator of St. Mary’s Retreat House which she served in that role up until March of 2019. Sr. Albina again, gave 100% in serving the spiritual and physical needs of every retreatant that came to St. Mary’s Retreat House, creating lifelong bonds with many of the groups who continued to return to St. Mary’s year after year.

Sr. Albina gave of herself unconditionally in whatever ministry she did. A most cherished ministry for her was caring for the Lord’s house, and making prosphora. She made prosphora for bishops and priests, who specifically asked for her. She made thousands of hosts each year for the Holy Dormition Pilgrimage. She regarded making prosphora a sacred honor, prayerfully kneading the bread, and meticulously cut each host the same size. Sr. Albina’s utmost respect for the hierarchy and clergy was reciprocated, and endowed her with their sincere respect and love.

Sr. Albina’s faithful service to God, the Church, her community and the faithful was known and appreciated by many, even 30 or 40 years later. Sr. Albina was often associated with her continuous work ethic and determination to be productive, but like our foundress, Blessed Josaphata, she had a deep commitment to her prayer life, the Divine Liturgy, communal and private prayers, incorporating them into her daily life so that the whole day became a prayer.

Sr. Albina will be remembered for her smile, her energy, her perfectionist style, her cleanliness, but most of all for her deep love for her God. She will be missed immensely by her Sisters and the faithful.

***In lieu of flowers, donations in Sr. Albina’s memory may be made towards St. Joseph’s Expansion