Sister Angela de l’Immaculée

Sister Angela de l’Immaculée was called home to God on Friday, August 28, 2026. Sister was born Patricia Regina Cossack on May 30, 1939 in Ringtown, Pennsylvania. She was the third of five children born to Edward George Cossack, a coal miner, and Helen Theresa Kollenkofsky, a seamstress.

Sister Angela entered the Little Sisters of the Poor on September 8, 1957. She made her first profession at St. Ann’s Novitiate, Queens Village, New York, on June 9, 1960 and her perpetual profession at the congregation’s motherhouse in France on October 15, 1964.

After her perpetual profession, Sister Angela was assigned to the province of Africa from 1964 until 1986. As a missionary, she served the elderly in two homes in Algeria, Mombasa, Kenya and Enugu, Nigeria. Of her experiences in Africa, Sister Angela reflected, “There were challenges, but his grace was always there. The actual grace comes at the actual moment and his grace endures forever.”

Returning to the United States, Sister Angela served in Newark, Delaware; Washington, D.C.; Cleveland, Ohio and Richmond, Virginia. She returned to Jeanne Jugan Residence in Washington in 2021.

During her long religious life Sister Angela was often confided with the care of the elderly. She had a real gift for engaging even the most infirm residents in theatrical productions and artistic activities. She retained great apostolic zeal for the missions, raising funds for the Little Sisters’ homes in Africa through the sale of the residents’ arts and crafts. Even as her sight failed in her last months, she was rarely seen without either a rosary or a crochet hook in her hands.

Sister Angela was preceded in death by her parents and a brother and sister, Edward Cossack and Sister Carolyn Mary Cossack, SMMI. She is survived by her fellow Little Sisters, her brother Paul Cossack, sister Helen Fisher and several nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be from 3-7 pm Wednesday, September 2 at Jeanne Jugan Rrsidence, 4200 Harewood Rd, NE Washington, DC, with rosary and evening prayer beginning at 4:30 pm. A Mass of Chrisian Burial will be celebrated at the Residence on Thursday, September 3 at 11 am, with interment following at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Washington, DC.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made in memory of Sister Angela to the Little Sisters of the Poor, 4200 Harewood Rd, NE, Washington, DC.