The Mass will be live-streamed via Zoom. Please Click here to watch on Saturday, April 27th at 10 AM.

Sister Mary Virginita, 87, a Felician Sister for 70 years, died in Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent, Buffalo, NY, on April 24, 2024.  The former Dorothy Tarnacki was born on June 2, 1936, in Syracuse, NY, and was a member of Transfiguration Parish.  She entered the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province of the Felician Sisters in Buffalo, NY, on July 16, 1953, and professed perpetual vows on August 3, 1961. She graduated from the Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy in Buffalo and furthered her education at Daemen (Rosary Hill) College, Amherst, NY, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree.

Sister Virginita began her ministry as a Felician Sister at St. Barbara School, Lackawanna, NY.  She taught at the elementary level for almost twenty-five years in various schools in the Dioceses of Buffalo and Syracuse and was involved in religious education programs in the Diocese of Ogdensburg.  A gentle and sensitive person, Sister Virginita was a loving and excellent teacher who fostered cooperation and mutual respect among her students.  Her deep appreciation and concern for every student, good judgment, and understanding led her to serve as principal in various schools, including St. Valentine, Buffalo, NY; St. Stanislaus, Binghamton, NY; and Our Lady of Czestochowa, Cheektowaga, NY, for a total of sixteen years.  Always eager to serve, Sister Virginita encouraged her students to be active in the community and led by example, participating alongside them.  Her dedication, service, and contributions to Catholic education were recognized with the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Award for Meritorious Service presented by the Department of Catholic Education, Buffalo, NY, in 2001.

After forty-seven years of fruitful ministry in the field of education, Sister Virginita returned to the Syracuse area in 2004.  With the Blessed Mother Mary as her guide and model, she continued a life of service assisting the sisters with whom she lived in various ways.  In 2008, Sister joined the community at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent in Buffalo.  A devoted "handmaid of the Lord," Sister Virginita first served as a receptionist for St. Francis Residence and then continued to serve the sisters at Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent even as her own health declined.

Reflecting on her life as she celebrated 60 years of religious life, Sister Virginita wrote, "The greatest gift I received is perseverance in my personal journey in religious life…. Daily prayers have helped me serve the Lord one day at a time."  Her devotion to the Blessed Virgin and rich prayer life remained her comfort and strength each day until she joyfully entered her eternal reward.

Sister Virginita is survived by her sisters, Mary Ann Tarnacki Cross, Sue (Timothy) Jennis, Alma Horton Smolik, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her parents, Charles and Gladys Siwik Horton, and her brother, Charles Tarnacki.

A wake for Sister Virginita will be held at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Convent on Friday, April 26, 2024, from 3 to 5 PM, followed by an Evening Prayer Service at 5 PM in the convent chapel.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, April 27, 2024, at 10 AM, in the Convent Chapel.

The Mass will be live-streamed via Zoom. Please Click here to watch on Saturday morning.

Burial 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 Sr. Virginita's Tribute page.