A plane from Poland landed in New York in 1961, and Mother Amabilis stepped onto unfamiliar territory.  Having another sister with her did not help shake off the nervousness of the great leap of faith she had just taken.  They had come such a long way to join several of their fellow sisters in their American convent and there was no turning back now.  Determination is one of Mother’s well-known trademarks.  For example, when I asked her how she traveled from Poland to America she replied without hesitation, “Honey, I WALKED!” 

There was sorrow in leaving her country and family.  There were tears shed and a choice to make, and Mother chose what to her was the most important – obedience to God’s will and to her superiors.  So with remarkable, faithful courage, she came to a place that only her finger had visited on a map. 

Adjusting to life in America did not take her long.  She slowly learned English, and overcame her feelings of frustration and stupidity.  Prayer and trust fueled her determination and kept her going.

Before I met Mother Amabilis, I wondered what made her so special.  I wondered why gloomy faces lit up at the very mention of her name and why young and old spoke of her with admiration and respect in their voices.  Then I met Mother for myself and I no longer wondered why.  How could one be gloomy while the image of this woman who personally knew Pope Saint John Paul II danced in one’s mind?  Her mischievous, playful laugh, the sparkle in her eyes, and the smile on her face are witnesses to the remarkable joy, peace, confidence, and love radiating from every part of her being.

This Polish sister so long ago came to a crossroads.  One path led to continued familiarity and comfort, and the other led to uncharted waters, and unfamiliar territory.  Mother knew the way God wanted her to go, so she pulled herself together, said ‘no’ to her will, ‘yes’ to God’s, and wholeheartedly plunged into the unknown with only faith, hope, and trust as her guides.  Despite the hardships that accompanied her decision, Mother’s “yes,” led her to become the first superior and novice mistress to the new American foundation and later its first provincial superior.
When life is a storm and I feel I am drowning in waves of doubt and confusion I think of the advice she gave me, “You pray and persevere, and really don’t give up – but go forward…depend on God – He never fails.  It is very simple.  Life is beautiful.  I would tell everyone that honey.”