Sister Constance Marie Pospisil, M.M. , Maryknoll Sister for 62 Years Dies

Maryknoll, NY: Sister Constance Marie Pospisil, M.M. died on May 20th, 2020 while on mission in the village of Lemoa, El Quiché Province, Guatemala. She was 84 years old and had been a Maryknoll Sister for 62 years.

Constance was born in New York City, New York on July 2nd, 1935 to Constance M. Pospisil and Anton J. Pospisil.  She is survived by her sister, Adelaide, two nieces and a nephew. In 1953, she graduated from Cathedral High School in New York City. Following graduation, she attended St. Vincent’s School of Nursing in New York City, receiving her R.N Certificate in 1956.

On September 2nd, 1957 Constance entered the Maryknoll Sisters Novitiate at the Maryknoll Sisters Center in Maryknoll, NY (from St. Thomas Apostle Parish in Rockville Centre, NY). She made her first Profession of Vows at the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY on June 24th, 1960 and her Final Vows on June 24th, 1966 in Chile, South America.

Sister Constance first served at the Maryknoll Sisters Nursing Home after making her First Profession of Vows. In 1961, she was assigned to Pucon, Chile to do catechetical work and serve as a nurse in the local clinic. In 1962, she relocated to the pueblo of Galvarino, where she again did clinic and catechetical work until 1969.

Sister Constance then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to work in the Development Department; doing promotion and mission education work until 1971.

In 1972, she returned to Chile to work in Chillán as a clinic nurse at the Good Sheperd Home for Girls, teach First Aid and help with the formation of rural health workers. In 1973, Sister Constance transferred to Santiago, Chile where she served as a Public Health Nurse in the National Health Service and started the first pre-school lunch program in “población La Bandera”.

From 1975-1977, she had returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to continue her education at Pace University, Westchester County, NY, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and became a Certified Somatic Psychotherapist.

Following graduation, Sister Constance returned to “población La Bandera” located on the outskirts of Santiago, where she did psychiatric public nursing and worked with Basic Christian Communities from 1977-1982. She then returned to the Maryknoll Sisters Center, Maryknoll, NY to do Congregational Service in the Development and Computer Services Departments. From 1985-1988, she served as a Center Council Board member.

In 1990, she volunteered for the Maryknoll Sisters new mission project in Sao Paulo, Brazil. There, she worked in health services among women’s groups until 1992. From 1993-2003, she relocated to Joao Pessoa, Brazil where she helped found a holistic health care center for women.

In 2004, Sister Constance then joined the Maryknoll Sisters Contemplative Community (The Maryknoll Sisters Contemplative Community was established in 1932 in order to support the work of the order’s missions through prayer, contemplation, retreats, study, counseling, and participation in the liturgy) and was assigned to the small mountain village of Lemoa, El Quiche, Guatemala. She dedicated the remainder of her life to prayer, adoration, and solitude. However, she remained active in her mission work to help care for the local people in need in many ways until the time of her sudden death.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on the morning of May 21st, 2020 at the Sisters Chapel in Lemoa de Santa Cruz, El Quiche, Guatemala; she was buried that afternoon in the Lemoa Cemetery.