The former Josephine Dzienis, the second daughter in a family of four girls and one boy, was the daughter of Casmir and Mary Skurat and was born Feb. 26, 1919, and baptized in St. Bernard parish church on March 9.
After a move to North Detroit, the children attended Our Lady Help of Christians School staffed by the Felician Sisters and later attended Felician Academy in Detroit. After high school, she joined the Felician Congregation. Invested Aug. 15, 1938, she received the name Sr. Mary Clarentine; she made her first profession Aug. 16, 1939, and her final profession Aug. 15, 1945.
Sr. Dzienis received her bachelor’s degree at Madonna College and her master’s degree at Notre Dame University. She completed her program in library work at Wayne State University. During her more than 25 years as a teacher and librarian, Sr. Dzienis taught at St. John Cantius, St. Stephen, St. Albertus and Immaculate Conception schools in Detroit; St. Joseph, Manistee; St. Florian, Hamtramck; St. Adalbert, Toledo; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Wyandotte; St. Thecla, Mount Clemens; Ladywood and Madonna College, Livonia.
In 1965, Sr. Dzienis was assigned to the Vatican for five years in what was then called the Sacred Roman Rota — the Vatican’s highest court — combined with the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, where she was to serve as a secretary to a judge in the Rota.
Sr. Dzienis served as the 15th provincial superior of the Livonia Province from 1977-82 and was the vicar general of the Felician Congregation’s leadership team from 1982-88. Sister also served as the secretary for the American provinces from 1988-2009.
Sr. Dzienis was relieved of active ministry in 2009 and was transferred to residency in the province’s health care center, where she completed her life’s journey. She is survived by her sister, Sr. Mary Ursula Dzienis, CSSF.
Fr. Richard Rakoczy of St. Perpetua Parish, Waterford, celebrated the Mass of Resurrection on May 4 in the Felicians’ central convent chapel in Livonia. Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka was in attendance. Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.
