Sr. Kathleen Kovacs, SSS

SISTER KATHLEEN KOVACS, S.S.S. - Member of the Sisters of Social Service since 1954, was called home to God's Loving Embrace on December 8, 2016, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, at the age of 91. She passed away at the Clarence residence of the Sisters of St. Joseph, where she resided temporarily and cared for lovingly. Daughter of Michael and Maria (nee Zima) Kovacs. She survived all her brothers and sisters: Michael (Valeria) Kovacs, Maria (Tibor) Farkas, Julia (Paul) Vilagosi, Anna (Sandor) Schreindorfer, Ladislaus (Teresia) Kovacs. She is survived by her religious Sisters and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in Hungary. Friends may call Saturday from 10:30 AM to 12 noon at the Clarence Residence of the Sisters of St. Joseph, 4975 Strickler Rd., Clarence and Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 PM at the DENGLER, ROBERTS, PERNA FUNERAL HOME, 3070 Delaware Ave., Kenmore. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at Blessed Sacrament RC Church, Buffalo (Delaware and Utica) at 10 AM. If desired, memorials may be made to the Sisters of St. Joseph, 4975 Strickler Rd., Clarence, NY 14031. Burial at Holy Cross Cemetery, Lackawanna. www.denglerrobertspernafuneral.com

Sister Kathleen Kovacs of Buffalo, NY died on December 8 in the Clarence Residence of the Sisters of St. Joseph where she spent her last years of aging. She experienced a sudden change in her health and died in a two weeks period. She was 91.

Born in Szekesfehervar, Hungary as the last of seven children of her family. She graduated from Junior High School of her city in 1938, then attended a business school and began to work as a book-keeper at a parish office. Later she received training for teaching kindergarten children and started to work in that field. She then felt a call to religious life and was accepted to the Sisters of Social Service (SSS) in 1950. In a few months after her entering, the Communist Government suspended all religious orders, so young Kathleen had to return to “lay-life” and to find a job to support herself. She took training at a metallurgical laboratory and began working there in 1951 until 1956.

Meantime, although Religious Communities were suspended, the Sisters of Social Service (and a few others) continued to exist and worked “underground” and also continued accepting and training young girls for religious life. By the time of the 1956 freedom fight in Hungary, Kathleen almost finished her novitiate. When the freedom fight was suppressed, the leadership of the SSS Community suggested the possibility to their underground-trained novices to join their members living in Buffalo, NY for further training and ministering in the US.

By this time, the borders were closed and nine novices and one sister took the risk of escaping. They came in two groups, Sister Kathleen and four others set out together through Austria just before Christmas of 1956. Arriving there they were taken to a camp close to Vienna where Kathleen, and her companions taught religion to the children of also escaped Hungarian families.

Kathleen and her group was flown over to the US, arriving in New York City on May30, 1957. From there, they continued by train to Buffalo, NY, settling at 884 Tift Street and started learning English. In the fall, they began the continuation of their novitiate that started in Hungary. Sr. Kathleen made her First Vows in 1959. Along with her novitiate training, Kathleen Kovacs intensified her learning the English language and in a year, in 1958, she was assigned -- what she very much enjoyed -- to be a group mother of some 6 to 10 year old girls at the House of Providence, in Syracuse, NY that the Sisters of Social Service administered from 1958 till 1970.

With the closing in Syracuse, another new service awaited Sr. Kathleen at Akron, OH where the Community has just established a local house with three Sisters, Kathleen being one of them, to serve the Hungarian Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish. She taught CCD, also Hungarian language; visited families at home and in hospitals; for a time she also worked at St. Thomas Hospital as a nurse’s aide.

1

In 1980, Sister Kathleen was called back to Buffalo as she was elected to the Community’s leadership team as Councilor. Along with her Community service, she began service at Precious Blood Parish as Pastoral Associate and stayed there until her retirement in 1996. She took up census at the Parish, visited the home-bound elderly and the sick, prepared parents for the baptism of their child(ren), and moderated the Legion of Mary meetings.

Sr. Kathleen was re-elected to the District Council of her Community in 1983, now as the Assistant District Moderator, until 1986. Meantime, she continued at Precious Blood, and was very happy in her ministry, enjoying helping and building relationships with people of all ages from young to those close to the end of their lives, reflecting to them the love, care and goodness of God.

In her retirement years, Sister was volunteering as a Minister of the Eucharist at Timon Towers where she lived, and helped residents by listening to them, sharing her insights with them, forming relationships. In her Community she helped with book-keeping, with the Christmas Wheat Project, personal services for her Sisters, visiting those who were sick. She also dedicated herself to the ministry of prayer. When her health deteriorated she was received by the Sisters of St. Joseph Clarence Residence and her service became prayer and presence, and the deepening of her relationship with Jesus to Whom she committed herself sixty-six years earlier. She continued reading the daily News and remaining open to the cares, concerns and problems of the world until her mental capacity allowed it.

Sisters and Friends are grateful to God for Sister Kathleen’s long life and loving service.