Sister Mary Raymond , 82 , a Felician Sister for 6 4 years, died at Garden Gate Health Care Facility, Cheektowaga , NY, on December 30 , 20 22 .  The former Rosalie Kasprzak was born on September 9, 1940 , in Buffalo, NY to Chester and Anne (Wojtaszak) Kasprzak , and was a member of St. Adalbert Parish. She enter ed the Buffalo Province of the Felician Sisters on August 22 , 19 5 8, and professed perpetual vows on August 1 6 , 19 6 6 .  After graduating from Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy, Buffalo, NY , Sister Raymond earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from M edaille College, Buffalo, NY, and a Ma ster of Science in Education and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo .  Awarded Honorary Degrees include a Doctor of Humanities at Madonna University, Livonia, MI, and Doctor of Humane Letters at Felician College, Lodi, NJ.

Siste r Raymond began her ministry teaching on the elementary level at St. Hyacinth School, Lackawanna, NY, and St. Stanislaus Kostka School in Binghamton, NY.  For seven years, she was involved in teaching at the secondary level at the former Bishop Gibbons High School, North Tonawanda, NY. In 1973, Sister began her ministry at Villa Maria College of Buffalo as Director of Student Services , Vice-President for Student Affairs and Vice-President for Academic Affairs. A ctive in e ducation , Sister Raymond served on the Board of Catholic Education, and as Consultant for School Consolidations and Regional ization for the Diocese of Buffalo.

Sister Raymond began a long ministry in various Community l eadership roles in 1982 when she was elected to the Provincial Administration of Immaculate He art of Mary Province, serving as Director of Ministry. For Sister Raymond, l eadership was " about service and about going to others out of love, what we, as consecrated religious women, have received from the One who loved us first." In 1988 , she was elected as Vicar General of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice in Rome, Italy. It was during this time, in 1993, that Blessed Mary Angela Truszkowska , Foundress of the Felician Sisters , was beatified.  Sister Raymond played an integral part in the b eatification process and wrote a book, On An April Morning A Per sonal Memoir, on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Blessed Angela's beatification .

Upon her return to the United S tates in 1994, Sister Raymond served at Villa Maria College to serve as the Acting Vice-Pre sident for Academic Affairs until she was elected the Provincial Minister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province in Buffalo in 1995. At the General Chapter in 2000, Sister was once again elected t o c ongr egational leadership as Minister Genera l of the Congregation.  True to her vision of leadership, Sister was an excellent administrator who led with wisdom and foresight . At the end of her term as Minister General , Sister Raymond returned t o Villa Maria College where she faithfully assumed the respons ibility of Executive Assistant to the President until poor health interrupted her ministry .

Sister Raymond was a member of the Pastoral Council of the Diocese of Buffalo and the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR).  S he served the p rovince as a trustee on se veral b oards of Felician i nstitutions and chai red the Provincial Assembly Board and the Government and Apos tolic Service Committees.  Dedication and commitment marked every l eadership role she embraced.  Attuned to the needs of Community and those we serve, Sister Raymond was very supportive of the seven North American Provinces of the Felician Sisters as they de liberated reconfiguration to preserve, foster, and expand the Felician Mission .  S he had the unique gift of posing appropriate questions which frequently led to constructive actions.

Tireless in her service and availability to others, Sister Raymond assumed the responsibility of serving as the Women's Retreat Coordinator in 2015 providing the opportunity for women to participate in four themed retreats through out the year.  At the same time, Sister became the Regional Coordinator for the Cause of Blessed Mary Angela , one of her most cherished labors of love.  She also became involved in rel igious writing.  Suffering many physical issues, gradually and humbly Sister stepped back from formal roles but remained steadfast in her ministry of prayer and of presence to her sisters in community .

On her sixtieth anniversary as a Felician Sister, Sister Raymond wrote a reflection , A Vocation Story – Following the Breeze , in which she likens her call to a persistent but gentle breeze weaving its way through every aspect of her life , inspiring a "yes" that has made all the difference in her life as she became " one with that b reeze."

Sister Raymond is survived by her brother Jerome (Christine) Kasprzak and her niece Lisa (Dr. Barry) Malin .

A wake for Sister Mary Raymond will be held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent, 600 Doat Street, on Tuesday, January 3 , 20 23 , from 1 to 5 PM followed by an Evening Prayer Ser vice at 5 PM in the c onvent c hapel .

A Mass of Christia n Burial will be celebrated on Wednesday, January 4, 2023 , in the convent chapel at 10:30 AM preceded by a viewing from 9:30-10:30 AM .

The Mass will be live-streamed only on the day of the Mass. Please click on the link below to watch Sister Raymond's Funeral Mass Live: https://feliciansisters.zoom.us/j/86458689196?pwd=SGxnUXJnM2hiWXdIbnJ1OHNFV1g0Zz09

Interment will follow in St. Stanislaus Cemetery, Cheektowaga, NY.

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

Please share a picture in our online Photo Album or a favorite memory in our Guest Book here on Sister Raymond's Tribute page.

Sr. Raymond's Memorial Video