November 30, 1941 — March 4, 2024
Patricia Skiba was born on November 30, 1941 in Passaic, New Jersey to Joseph and Anna Udziela Skiba. Patricia was the eldest child with two siblings, Maryann and Joseph. Her family enrolled the children in Saint Joseph’s Elementary School in Passaic which was staffed by the Felician Sisters. After graduating from Saint Joseph’s, Sister commenced her high school education at Immaculate Conception High School in Lodi, New Jersey where she graduated in 1959.
Patricia entered the Felician Sisters’ Community as a postulant in Lodi on July 2, 1959. She was invested in the Felician habit on August 14, 1960, receiving the name Sister Mary Josita. She made her first profession on August 15, 1961 and professed her solemn vows on August 15, 1967.
Sister Mary Josita received a BA in Elementary Education at Felician College. She commenced her ministry assignments at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Mahwah as a teacher and completed this assignment as the principal of the Elementary School. She went on with her ministry in the Archdiocese of Newark as a teacher in Most Sacred Heart in Wallington, Saint Stanislaus in Garfield, and Saint Michael in Lyndhurst.
Sister most willingly accepted assignments to the following schools as a teacher: Saint James School in Basking Ridge, NJ,; Holy Cross School in Trenton, NJ; Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Southampton, PA and Passaic Catholic Regional School in Passaic, NJ. Her years as an elementary school teacher prepared her to assume the position as a principal at Our Lady of the Lake Regional School in Mount Arlington, NJ and Saint John Kanty School in Clifton, NJ. Sister Josita considered her ministry assignments as blessings from God, particularly the children whom she felt were entrusted to her by God.
Completing her time at Passaic Regional School Sister Josita came to the Immaculate Conception Convent in Lodi where she now began her ministry of prayer and suffering. The quiet, gentle woman was taken to Hackensack Medical University Center in Hackensack, New Jersey on February 29, 2024.
After her family and community spoke with her doctors, Sister came home to Immaculate Conception Convent in Lodi on hospice. On the morning of March 4, 2024, in the presence of her sibling Maryann Suita and several members of her religious community, Sister Mary Josita quietly entered eternity.
Sister Mary Josita’s wake was on March 7, 2024, in Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel, Lodi, NJ. The funeral Mass was on March 8, 2024, in Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel. The Rev. Louis Molinelli, SDB. presided and was the homilist. Sister Josita had taught him at Immaculate Heart of Mary School in Mahwah, New Jersey, and was also his principal. Interment followed in the Felician Sisters’ Cemetery, Lodi, NJ.
