Singing the La Di Da Polka

We were so blessed to have Felician Sisters at Holy Family School in South Bend, IN. While I had good relationships with all of them and have fond memories with a few, my favorite was Sr. Arthur. She taught 8th grade and English, then became principal. She sang and played guitar and piano. No one at our school, during the years she was there, could forget all of the singing we did, especially the La Di Da polka and Sto Lat. She was strong and spry, often giving a “shot” in the arm as a sign of congratulation.

One thing she often reminded me about when I was older was a time I asked her where her “gunboats” were — a reference to her sturdy black tie shoes — on an occasion she was wearing sandals. That story always made her laugh. After she returned to the motherhouse in Livonia and I was an adult, I had the chance to visit a few times. They were wonderful opportunities to reminisce and be shown off to the other Sisters as special visitors. I think we even made it into the newsletter once. Having Sr. Arthur as a friend was a wonderful gift!
— Ryan

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Serving where needed since 1874

Founded in Poland in 1855, the Felician Sisters are a congregation of women religious inspired by the spiritual ideals of their foundress, Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska, and Saints Francis of Assisi, Clare of Assisi and Felix of Cantalice. Arriving in North America in 1874 following Blessed Mary Angela’s directive “to serve where needed,” they helped to weave the social service system. Today, the Felician Sisters founded, sponsor or support through the presence of our sisters, more than 40 ministries – all continuing to evolve to meet the needs of the people they serve.

Sign up for our e-newsletter

Provincial Offices

Provincial Information

  • Felician Sisters of North America is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.
  • EIN 27-1282473
Felician Sisters of North America