Sr. Mary Janet, Scholastica Gapinski, CSSF, entered eternal life March 25 in St. Joseph Convent, Livonia. She was 91 and a religious sister for 72 years.

She was born March 20, 1926, in Alpena as the eighth of nine children of Francis and Mary (Nowicki) Gapinski. She was accepted into the Felician Congregation in 1944. First profession of vows was in 1946 and final profession in 1952. Sr. Gapinski earned degrees from Madonna (College) University and Fordham University, New York, and also studied at St. John’s College, Cleveland; Duquesne University, Pittsburgh; University of Detroit; Alverno College, Milwaukee; and Marillac College, St. Louis.

Sr. Gapinski taught for 58 years in Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, including at Patronage of St. Joseph, St. Casimir, St. Hyacinth, Assumption, St. Andrew, and St. Valentine, all in Detroit; Holy Rosary, Cedar; St. Therese, Wayland; St. Michael, Livonia; St. Stanislaus, Jackson; St. Stanislaus and St. Hyacinth, Bay City; St. John Vianney and St. Jude, Grand Rapids. Her last appointment spanned 17 years at Our Lady of Refuge, Orchard Lake.

In addition, Sr. Gapinski spent several summers in Holly as a housemother for girls, and in Jackson as a child care worker for boys. Community service included visiting the sick and elderly, membership on parish and diocesan committees and commissions for religious; membership on the Inner City Parochial Schools Curriculum Committee and ESEA – Title III Study – Wayne County Intermediate School District; and active membership on the Congregational Justice and Peace Committee. She was assigned to the Presentation Prayer Center in Jackson for one year and then supervised the convent library until 2015.

Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March 30 in the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel of the Felician Sisters’ Central Convent in Livonia. Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.