Obituary of Sister Mary Clare Bednarik

BEDNARIK, 'Sister Mary Clare' (Ernestine)

January 8, 1928 – Nyitra, Czechoslovakia

April 14, 2022 – Calgary, Alberta

Sister Mary Clare Bednarik, a sister of Charity of St. Louis for 74 years, died April 14, 2022, at the Foothills Hospital, Calgary, AB after a short illness at the age of 94 years.

Sister Mary Clare, the second of three children, was born in Nyitra, Czechoslovakia and grew up in Medicine Hat, Alberta.  She joined the community in 1945 and made her first profession of vows in 1948 in Moose Jaw, Sk.  Mary Clare was a very gifted woman and was well-loved and respected as a teacher. Her 29 years of teaching were spent in Radville, SK, in Medicine Hat, AB and in Burnaby, BC.  She then faithfully served as Provincial Treasurer for 18 years, all the while involved as a volunteer in prison ministry, Inn from the Cold, Telecare, Mustard Seed, Thrift Stores, etc.  Retirement was not a word in her vocabulary. During her 12 years spent in Oliver, BC, she volunteered with the Okanagan Gleaners, did bookkeeping for the Food Bank, did hospice visiting. She also volunteered at Christ the King Parish, bringing communion to the sick, and assisted Anna with Native Ministry at the Reserve community churches in the South Okanagan.  Her last years were spent in Calgary at St. John’s Convent and at Swan Evergreen Village.

Mary Clare was a woman of many talents not the least was honing her culinary arts to the delight of her community members. Her calm, even-tempered manner, her matter-of-fact disposition, and her good sense of humour were great assets in her day-to-day relationships with others. In all her endeavours, she gave of herself fully and even in her last years, she reached out to the residents at Swan Evergreen and continued to knit and crochet for the less fortunate.

Sister Mary Clare will be lovingly remembered by her sisters congregation-wide; her brother John (Joan), nieces Lisa, Marnie, Noelle and their families.  She was predeceased by her parents, Martin and Clara (Fulop); sister, Theresa scsl.

A funeral mass will be celebrated at the FCJ Christian Life Centre Chapel (219-19 Ave SW, Calgary) on Thursday, April 21, 2022, at 11:00 am.  Reception in the Centre dining room will follow immediately. Condolences may be shared and viewed here. 

If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, memorial tributes may be made directly to Elizabeth House (c/o Catholic Pastoral Centre, 120-17 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2T2, Telephone: (403) 218-5500, www.elizabethhousecalgary.ca), a shared ministry of the sisters of Charity of St. Louis and the Diocese of Calgary.

We are grateful to the staff at Swan Evergreen Village for the compassionate care given to Mary Clare during her 3.5 years of residency.

In living memory of Mary Clare Bednarik, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, AB T2X 3J3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.