Three Sisters Celebrate 60 years of ministry

Sixty years ago, the now defunct electronics retailer Circuit City had just opened its doors for the first time. That same year, three young women began a very different journey. On June 28, 2009, the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great celebrated the lives and achievements to date of these women, Sister Laura Palka, Sister Mary Michael Bayda, and Sister Theodosia Lukiw. By answering a call by God to minister to the world, all three Sisters have journeyed and experienced more that they could have imagined as late teenagers and early twenty-something’s in 1949.

Sister Laura, the current Provincial Superior, has ministered across the country in various capacities. Most prominently, she has shared her gift of music through teaching, directing, composing, and performing. As the music teacher at Saint Basil Academy and Manor College, Sister Laura was the impetus behind the numerous musicals performed by the students. Her most notable composition, the magnificent cantata from Bohdan Lepky’s poem “In the Cathedral of St. George”, has been featured at various venues, the most recent being the 2003 Music Tour of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great combined choir from Ukraine and the United States. Sister Laura has also served as the House Superior for the Fox Chase convent, ensuring the many daily functions were coordinated and ran smoothly.

Sister Mary Michael has also been a teacher, in Chicago, IL, New York City, NY, Parma, OH, and Philadelphia, PA. Sister Michael has traveled a great amount in her ministries, teaching seminarians and catechists in Ukraine, where she also worked with orphans. She spent time in Brazil establishing a foundation, then assisted the formation process. She also served in Rome, Italy at the Generalate, the Sisters’ world-wide headquarters, as General Bursar and General Councilor. When she wasn’t called to various parts of the world, she became a Licensed Practical Nurse, working at Holy Redeemer Hospital in Philadelphia.

Sister Theodosia has also taught in numerous parishes; Watervliet, NY, New York City, NY, Hamtramck, MI, Philadelphia, PA, and at Saint Basil Academy, Fox Chase Manor, PA. She is currently in her second term as principal at St. George’s School in New York City. Sister Theodosia has also traveled the world to teach, as the Academic Dean at the Padagogical-Catechetical School in Ivano-Frankiosk in Ukraine she worked with the training of catechists. During the second half of the 1970’s into the mid ‘80’s she served as Provincial Superior for the Fox Chase Province.

In their 60 years of ministry these three women have touched more lives than anyone could possibly count. They have served as a visible symbol of the love of God, and have inspired many to follow the divine example of Jesus Christ. For this and everything else they have accomplished we wish the "Many Happy Years"!!