Catherine (Turco) Husak

Catherine (Turco) Husak was born in Kniazhepil, Dobromyl region of Ukraine. She was born to a religious family having three sisters and one brother. In her youth she enjoyed going to church and singing in the church choir.

During WWII the family was caught between the advancing German and Russian armies. The Germans transferred her to work as a slave laborer in a factory in Germany. In 1943 she met her future husband, Stanley, while still in Germany and they eventually married. In 1949 as displaced persons from WWII, they immigrated to Wilmington, Delaware.

Mrs. Husak's career was as a hair dresser for a number of years eventually having a private salon in her home.

Catherine Husak was a devout church attendee at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wilmington, DE. She was an active parishioner at St. Nicholas as a member of Apostleship of Prayer and a member of the church choir. Additionally, she was a member of and former President of Ukrainian National Womens League (UNWLA) Branch 54.

Through her contacts in the Catholic Church she sponsored the full academic studies of future priest Peter Novosedlo in a Seminary in Brazil in 1962. She was able to travel to Brazil for his consecration to priesthood.

Over the years Catherine traveled to her homeland in Ukraine many times as well as to the Vatican in Rome and other shrines such as Lourdes and Fatima. Her travels around the world always had a religious focus.

Sadly, her husband Stanley passed away in 2004. Catherine then focused her attention on having a church built in her childhood home of Kniazhepil Ukraine. Her childhood church was no longer Catholic and in disrepair. She funded the complete building of the brand new church; In August 2007 she traveled to Kniazhepil for the dedication of the church Assumption of the Mother of God as well as an inaugural divine liturgy. She received a certificate recognizing her financial support. At that time she stated it was a great thrill experiencing the new church full of people. It seemed the entire village was born again with the blessing of the new church.

In recent years dementia and Alzheimer’s affected her health. She nonetheless continued going to St Nicholas Church and continued responding to church services in words and lyrics she learned as a young child.

In Lieu of flowers please send donations in Catherine Husak's memory to Sister Servants of Mary Immaculate, 9 Emmanuel Drive PO Box 9, Sloatsburg, NY 10974 (www.ssmi-us.org)

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