Meet the Sisters

Sister Malgorzata “Margo” is mostly a native Texan, having go there from Poland as soon as she could. Sister is adventurous and enjoys kayaking, climbing mountains, white water rafting, but mostly she enjoys the adventure of encountering and getting to know people.

Last year Sister celebrated 40 years as a Sister of the Holy Family of Nazareth. She’s serious about her commitment as a Nazareth Sister, often saying that 40 years ago when she entered the community she never looked back.

Sister loves children, and finds babies to be a gift, seeing in them the goodness of God’s creation. Sister loves taking pictures (more than anyone could ever count), and every Sunday she can be heard in the convent having jovial conversation.

Sister Michaela arrived in Texas via Spain/Poland, and her first language used in Texas was Spanish, which she speaks fluently, and maintains a love and passion for Latino culture. After spending 12 years serving CHRISTUS Mother Frances as a nurse, Sister is now serving as a member of our mission integration team.

Sister Michaela loves sharing her gift of creativity, expressed through cooking and the decorations we enjoy in our hospital chapel. Her gifts of creativity also extend to her fellow Sisters, with Sister having decorated for many vows and jubilee celebrations of our Sisters. Sister Michaela has a heart for hospitality, and her nursing skills have fostered in her an awareness of and sensitivity to the needs of those around her.

Sister enjoys singing and leads our hospital chapel Sunday Mass participants in music each week. It is said in the theology of religious life that all Sisters are spiritual mothers, and among Sister’s spiritual children are her plants!Sister can take any plant that has been mistreated and nurse it back to life with tender loving care.

Sister Sylvia has served CHRISTUS Mother Frances Ministry for over 20 years as an oncology nurse and charge nurse. Sister may seem to be the “quiet” one among all of the Sisters, but her heart stays busy in conversation with God. She can be found daily in the Chapel for private meditation at 5:00 a.m.

Sister loves to cook and spends much of her free time in the kitchen baking wonderful desserts, cakes and breads. Sister is also talented with sewing, enjoys movies and makes beautiful handmade rosaries. She accompanies our Holy Family Associates from the Tyler area hosting them for monthly faith sharing and prayer meetings.

A member of the Carmelite Order, Sister Rose has been a woman religious for almost 33 years. When coming to the United States, she joined the nursing staff in Oncology at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler. She would later go on to receive her BSN and begin work in the Mother Baby Unit.

“I enjoy visiting people and families and taking care of babies. I have no future plans…it is left up to God.”

Sister Maria “Sophia” is a Philadelphia native and graduate of the all-girls high school, Nazareth Academy. Sister made the move from Philadelphia to Tyler in August 2019 to begin ministering in finance with CHRISTUS. She enjoys finding new ways to stay healthy (which is very impressive considering she was raised by a baker) and loves to laugh!

Sister has a sincere heart for the care of our earth and nature, and she enjoys reading. The first thing Sister did when she arrived to Tyler was obtain her library card. Sister Sophia loves how God is stretching her heart as a new aunt.

Sister Maria is one of two Sisters from the Carmelite Order. Born and raised in Kerala, India, she came to the United States in 1999 and joined the team as a nurse in Orthopedics at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital. She later went on to complete her BSN and is now working as an RN in Pre-Surgery. Sister Maria said she has no special plan for her future except she will continue serving God’s people as long as He allows her.

Sister Josephine is a native Texan. She was raised Baptist, entering the Catholic Church in 2005. She loves to sing, kayak, watch movies, and hang out with friends. Sister attended University of Dallas, and when enrolling didn’t realize it was a Catholic University!

Sister has traveled all over Europe and while in college, lived in Rome for 6 months. Sister worked in banking before entering Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. It was hard to say goodbye to her job, her car and her boots!

Sister serves as a counselor at Saint Gregory Cathedral School and also sees adult clients in a practice here in Tyler. She is preparing for final vows, so she would appreciate a prayer from everyone who reads this, for blessings during her time of preparation. Sister has a special devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, so any prayers offered in the hospital chapel, in the sacramental presence of Jesus, for her time of preparation would also be appreciated!