Tribute to the Late Sister Barbara Jean Ciszek
WHEREAS, Sister Barbara Jean Ciszek has been called to the eternal life by the wisdom of God, at age 68, on May 28, 2015; and
WHEREAS, The City Council has been informed of her passing by Alderman Scott Waguespack, Alderman of the 32nd ward; and
WHEREAS, Sister Barbara Jean Ciszek changed the lives of many through her commitment to her religious beliefs and dedication to education, specifically in the Montessori way of learning; and
WHEREAS, She was born in Berwyn, IL and raised in Lyons, she was a devout Roman Catholic and eldest of four children; and
WHEREAS, She attended her parish grade school and influenced by the Catholic nuns who encouraged her in her studies, eventually graduating from Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park and taking her vows in 1965; and
WHEREAS, Sister Ciszek began teaching at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Melrose Park, and later at St. Francis Xavier in La Grange. In 1998, she become the founding principal of Cardinal Benardin Early Childhood Center, a Catholic Montessori School serving children from four months to third grade; and
WHEREAS, Her belief and work in Montessori lead her to lecture and train teachers in the same method in many other countries, including Lithuania, Brazil, and France. Sister Barbara Jean Ciszek was a 50-year member of the Congregation of St. Joseph of LaGrange Park. She made five visits to Nsukka, Nigeria, bringing with her several suitcases filled with supplies and materials for teachers to get started; and
WHEREAS, Sister Barbara Jean Ciszek would touch lives not only in Chicago, but abroad, and not only for her generation, but for generations to come; and, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and members of the Chicago City Council, gathered here on this twenty second day of June, 2016, do hereby honor the memory of Sister Barbara Jean Ciszek; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be prepared and presented to the family members o...
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