Sister Gabriella Petoniak, SSS

Petoniak, Sister Gabriella a Sister of Social Service for 82 years, in her 101st year of life, peacefully returned to God on December 30, 2024. Sister Gabriella will be lovingly remembered by her religious community and her family including her sister-in-law, Rosemary Devers, nieces and nephew Stephanie Ogle, Renee Petoniak (Stephanie) and all of her other nieces and nephews, great nieces and great nephews, friends, colleagues, and religious congregations across Canada.

Sister Gabriella was born in Lestock, Saskatchewan. Her father, Stephen Petoniak, an immigrant from Slovakia, worked as a coal miner in Pennsylvania and as a farmer in Saskatchewan. Her mother Mary Mainguth, also from Slovakia, was a beloved wife and mother. They moved to Lestock in 1910. Josephine (Sr. Gabriella) and her twin brother Joseph were the youngest members in her family.

During her many years of service, she was involved in community leadership as the General Director, Councillor and Formation Director. Her ministries were as a teacher, a social worker in various agencies, parish worker at a number of parishes, retreat work, the Toronto Marriage Tribunal, Formation Director and community archivist where she spent many years organizing and translating original foundational documents and letters. She loved to sing and was a member of the St. Basil’s Choir and then with the Holy Rosary Choir for approximately 22 years.

We are grateful to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto and their very loving and outstanding staff who graciously provided such wonderful and compassionate care.

Visitation will take place in the Chapel of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto, 2 O’Connor Drive, Toronto, ON on Friday, January 3, 2025 at 1:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial will take place also in the Chapel on Saturday, January 4, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.

A private interment will take place at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Hamilton, ON at a later date. Funeral arrangements are in the care of Kane-Jerrett Funeral Homes.

In lieu of flowers and in memory of Sister Gabriella, donations may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto Fontbonne Ministries