Mother Mary Jolanta Pawlak

Mother Mary Jolanta Pawlak assumed the role of provincial superior from 1932 to 1946, extending the province to Alabama, Texas, North Dakota, and Louisiana. She accepted 14 new schools and undertook catechetical instruction for public school children at 22 different centers in the state of Nebraska alone. 

Having entered the Felician Congregation in Detroit from Chicago, Mother Jolanta had proven her efficiency in her previous roles as local superior and as principal of St. Joseph on Chicago's south side with its 1,300 students. As prefect of schools and councilor in 1921, she had directed the sisters' studies and advanced the teaching apostolate across the province.

As provincial superior, Mother Jolanta expanded professional training to include nursing and she staffed both St. Mary Hospital in Centralia, Illinois and a hospital in Bastrop, Louisiana. Against the backdrop of the Great Depression as the economy neared collapse, Mother Jolanta liquidated the debt incurred from construction of the Chicago complex.

In 1938, Mother Jolanta took a stand for civil rights and missioned sisters to staff Holy Family School in Birmingham, Alabama, an all-Black Passionist mission whose students had petitioned sisters to come teach them. She also sent seven sisters in lay clothing to teach Polish refugee children exiled in Mexico, many of whom were orphaned. 

Fourteen years under the jovial Mother Jolanta appear to be responsible for the province's community spirit, its collective sense of humor, and most certainly its expansion of health care as a viable apostolate.