100 Years: a “Happy Blessing”

S. Evelyn Novinski has been a Racine Dominican for more than 75 years and celebrated an important birthday this month. On September 8 she tuned 100 years old, and she continues to enjoy her life as a sister at Siena Center.

In her ministry, S. Evelyn spent most of her time teaching. She taught in schools in Wisconsin, Michigan, and New Mexico for 46 years. S. Evelyn found her ministries very gratifying. Her experiences with the children were the most rewarding. “I could see they were learning and that I was helping them,” she said. As her eyesight began to deteriorate, she retired from teaching but continues to cherish the memories of her time with the children.

After teaching, S. Evelyn went to Our Lady of the Oaks, a home for retired sisters which had been located in Pewaukee, where she learned how to make rosaries from S. Rosaria. Even though she could see very little, S. Evelyn figured out that she had made about 11,500 rosaries, and she sent her creations to many missions around the world. Later, she went with S. Ester Novak, SND, to a school in Janesville for the blind and visually impaired.

There she learned how to weave baskets, of which she made about 980. S. Evelyn continues with her crafting abilities today by crocheting caps for kids. “I learned to crochet as a child and can do it without looking,” she said.

As she prepared to celebrate her 100^th birthday, S. Evelyn recalled how an uncle would tease her about being so pale and frail as a young girl. As part of the celebrations, Milwaukee Auxiliary Bishop Richard Sklba, a Racine native, joined her for lunch at Siena Center. Family members have also been travelling to visit S. Evelyn throughout the month from various parts of the country.

She feels blessed to have been able to celebrate her 75^th Jubilee in 2007 and to live among all the other Racine Dominican women who share the same mission and goals. S. Evelyn remembers how long ago she joined the Dominican community the same summer she graduated from St. Catherine’s High School in Racine. “Being a Sister is such a wonderful experience,” she said. “My life has been a happy blessing.”

To read about other Racine Dominican Sisters, click here.