Sr. Helen grew up in small town Pennsylvania. Her parents were both Polish immigrants. She enjoyed robust good health as a child and her younger siblings were known to call her “Rocky.” She entered the Missionary Servant at age 24 and became a registered nurse. She put her renowned strength and stamina to good use as a nurse at Holy Name of Jesus Hospital and in very little time was given leadership and supervisory duties there. She served there most of her religious life, followed by several years as a caseworker at Catholic Social Services in Pensacola. So loved she was by the nurses who worked with her that she continued to receive visits from many of them during her years in Florida.
Public Recognition
The Alabama State League for Nursing awarded Sr. Helen their Lamplighter Award in 1989. The League stated, “For her unswerving devotion to healthcare, for her enthusiastic and knowledgeable leadership abilities, and for her inherent ability to infect others with her cheerful dedication to the healing ministry of nursing, Sr. Helen Stanislaus truly deserves the Lamplighter award.”
This is what Missionary Servants do…
… because she drew in others to feel the passion she felt for doing her best for those she served. She didn’t simply train nurses, Sr. Helen truly inspired countless young nurses in their medical vocation during her many years at Holy Name of Jesus Hospital. She was a power for good.
