Sister Joachima Mystkowska, OSB

Sister Joachima Mystkowska is a Missionary Sister of St. Benedict in Huntington, NY (above).  She grew up in a family grounded in faith, prayer and action. “We would pray the Rosary together,” Sister Joachima said, “and my mother always showed us the importance of being helpful and caring for those who had less.”  She shared that her mother would help provide food for area families who were hungry. 

When she was a teenager, she enrolled in business school, where she was introduced to the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict. “The Sisters would invite the male and female students to the convent to come and see and learn about the Sisters and deepen their faith,” she said. That led her to volunteering at a school in Ełk, Poland that the Sisters ran for children with special needs. She was inspired by both the work and the joy of the community. Upon receiving her diploma, she entered the convent in 1972. 

In her heart, Sister Joachima had always wanted to be a nurse. After she completed her novitiate, she trained to become a nurse and returned to the special needs school. 

In 1979, Sister Joachima was sent on mission to the United States. Since that time, she has served at the Saint Joseph Home for the Aged in Huntington. “Being a missionary, I know God has something planned for each of us. And even though I didn’t know English, I learned how to speak it and took the tests to be qualified as a nurse here.” 

Sister Joachima and Sister Wojciecha.

She continued, “For me and the Sisters, our greatest joy in our mission is to know that when we are serving others we are serving Jesus. As Jesus says, ‘Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers and sisters, you do to me.’” (Matthew 25:40) 

Sister Joachima noted that when people come to Saint Joseph’s they come experiencing losses, whether it be the loss of their home, health, or family members who have passed away. “They come and entrust themselves to our care, and we help them find a loving and beautiful home here. We listen to them and it is important that we make sure their requests are met. This is a place, a home, where they find love and joy – music, singing and laughter.” 

We asked Sister Joachima to share a word of hope with those reading this post. She quoted Henry Drummond, who was a Scottish evangelist and writer, “ ‘Happiness…consists in giving, and in serving others.’ Every day, no matter what we do in our lives, we touch the lives of others. It is up to us to see Jesus in them and to treat each person with kindness and dignity.” 

The Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict received a SOAR! grant to install air conditioning in the convent wing to ensure the health and safety of the Sisters.