DANVILLE, Pa. – Sister M. Redempta Stephanie Tomancik, a Sister of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and former superior at Blessed Sacrament in Charleston, died at Maria Hall Sept. 29.
Sister Redempta was born on March 29, 1910, in Kopcany, Slovakia. She was the oldest of the seven children of Stephen and Katherine Kovarik Tomancik. She and her family immigrated to America and settled in Binghamton, N.Y.
She was a member of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Parish.
Sister Redempta attended Sts. Cyril and Methodius School in Binghamton and St. Cyril Academy in Danville, Pa. She received a bachelor’s in education from Marywood University in Scranton, Pa. She also attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis., and received a master’s degree from Valparaiso University in Indiana.
Sister Redempta entered the congregation of Sts. Cyril and Methodius on Sept. 8, 1928, and on Dec. 28 of that year was received as a novice. She made her first profession of vows on Dec. 22, 1930.
Sister Redempta taught first through fifth grades in parish schools in Connecticut, Indiana, New York, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.
She was superior/principal at Immaculate Conception in Whiting, Ind., and superior at Blessed Sacrament in Charleston. She was the reading coordinator in five schools in Gary, Ind.
While serving in the Diocese of Charleston, she taught first and second grades at St. Patrick School in Charleston from 1952-54 and from 1957-60.
She taught second grade at Nativity School in Charleston from 1972-73 and at Blessed Sacrament in Charleston from 1971-72 and 1973-74.
Sister Redempta served at Blessed Sacrament School as a remedial teacher, tutor and teacher’s aide from 1984-96.
While in South Carolina, Sister was a member of the Kairos team that provided a retreat experience for incarcerated women.
Sister Redempta retired to Maria Hall in 1996.
She is survived by her brother Joseph and two sisters, Anne Chiccino and Rose Sawicki, all of Binghamton, N.Y., and many nieces and nephews.
The Mass of Christian Burial was held Oct. 2 at Maria Hall. Burial was at the sisters’ cemetery in Danville.