Sister Emily Marie, 98, a Felician Sister for 79 years, died in Blessed Mary Angela Care Center, Buffalo, NY, on Friday, June 1, 2018.  The former Emily Jurecki was born on January 9, 1920 in Syracuse, NY to the late Paul L.  and Emily (Mostek) Jurecki and belonged to Sacred Heart Parish.  She entered the Buffalo Province of the Felician Sisters on July 8, 1938 and professed perpetual vows on August 12, 1946.  After graduating from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy, Buffalo, NY, she furthered her education at The Canisius College of Buffalo where she earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree.  Sister Emily Marie was a loving sister to her brothers, Paul Jurecki, John Jurecki and William Jurecki, and her sisters, Josephine Galante, Sally Shaffer and Mary Pilger. She is also survived by many nieces and nephews.

Initially, Sister Emily Marie began her ministry as a full-time teacher on the intermediate level at St. Luke Catholic Elementary School in Buffalo, NY.  Her teaching extended to the junior high level in many schools within the Diocese of Buffalo where she taught for twenty-nine years. At Precious Blood School she also served as principal.  She taught at Sacred Heart and Transfiguration Schools in Syracuse for a short time. Her teaching experience also extended to SS. Peter and Paul School in Welland, Ontario, Canada, for a year. She was a very talented and capable teacher.

In 1971, Sister Emily Marie became involved in Religious Education as a teacher, coordinator and regional director in the Dioceses of Syracuse and Ogdensburg for ten years.  She continued her ministry as a Religious Education Coordinator in the Diocese of Buffalo, in 1981, serving at parishes in Mayville, Westfield and Dunkirk, NY.

Sister Emily Marie began ministering in secondary education in 1986 when she taught Math and English at Villa Maria Academy in Buffalo.  Several years later, she continued teaching  Math, Religion, English and Latin at Notre Dame High School in Batavia, NY.   In 1992, she accepted the challenge to tutor some Felician Sisters in the English language at Our Lady Queen of Poland Province in Warsaw, Poland.   She was delighted to help these sisters learn English.

Since 1995, Sister Emily Marie ministered on a part-time basis as a librarian, tutor, Religious Educator, and Parish Minister, in Syracuse, Dunkirk, Elma and Buffalo.  In 2004, she became a member of St. Francis Residence Convent where she served as a receptionist.  Because of illness, Sister Emily Marie became a member of the Blessed Mary Angela Care Center in November, 2008.  She spent close to ten years in the Care Center where she was pleasantly involved with the sisters, joining them in prayer and activities until her health no longer allowed her to participate.

Sister Emily Marie is survived by nieces and nephews.  She was predeceased by her parents, Paul L.  and Emily (Mostek) Jurecki, her brothers, Paul, John and William Jurecki, and her sisters, Josephine Galante, Sally Shaffer and Mary Pilger.

Felician Sisters and family will be present at the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Villa Maria) Convent (600 Doat) on Sunday, June 3rd from 2-5 PM. An evening Prayer Service will begin at 5 PM in the temporary Convent Chapel. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, June 4th, at 10 AM.

Interment will follow in St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Cheektowaga, New York.

Memorials may be made to the Felician Sisters, 600 Doat Street, Cheektowaga, New York 14211.