2026 Jubilee Spotlight

Sister Irene Novak Celebrates
75 Years of God’s Blessings

Sister Irene Novak entered the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1950 from Holy Trinity Parish in her native Egypt, Pa., and professed first vows at Mount Assisi Convent in Pittsburgh in 1951. She celebrates her 75th Jubilee in 2026.

It may be no mistake that Andrew and Susan Novak named their youngest daughter Irene when they welcomed her to their growing family in 1933. The name Irene means “peace,” in Greek, and Sister Irene Novak surely seems to have found her own peace within.

Whether ministering as a teacher, principal, librarian or caregiver, she’s never really considered what she’s doing to be work. “It’s all pure entertainment for me,” she says of the pleasure she’s found in serving others.

Sister grew up in the tiny town of Egypt, Pa., — one of the oldest towns in eastern Pennsylvania — that even today boasts a population barely north of 2,000. Situated just seven miles outside of Allentown, the community somehow remained greatly removed from the industrial heyday in the neighboring “big city.”

One of six children born to a working-class father and homemaker mother, young Irene spent most of her time at church and with her friends. “I was a boy-crazy teenager. In the end, I couldn’t find anyone who deserved me,” she laughs. Her best girlfriend did end up marrying one of the boys on which they both had a crush, but Irene had her sights set elsewhere.

She and Sister Anita Kuchera — then known as “Aggie” and a year ahead of Irene in school — hailed from Holy Trinity Church, a small congregation of just 52 families, where they fell under the influence of our Sisters Magdalene Lovrich, Felicitas Konecny and Clavera Oravec. They were among nine girls from Allentown Central Catholic High School who went on a field trip to Reading, Pa., to visit the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

Later, Sister Magdalene invited them to visit the School Sisters of St. Francis at Monocacy Manor in Bethlehem, Pa., at Christmastime. Their home priest nudged them toward joining a Slovak order, but he urged both to finish high school before entering any religious community.

Irene’s calling to religious life was nearly derailed completely by the sudden death of her father at age 46. She went to work at nearby Trexler Farms Orchards, earning $30 a week to help her family stay afloat and to save enough to buy a trunk and the items to fill it for her eventual move to convent life.

In 1948, Aggie and Irene made their way to Mount Assisi Academy in Pittsburgh, where Irene graduated in 1950 and entered the community that August. It wasn’t long before she’d completed the metamorphosis from student to teacher, became Sister Mary Sebastian, and took on early teaching assignments at St. Michael School in New Castle, Pa., and at back at her alma mater, teaching the younger grades at Mount Assisi Academy.

Invigorated by change, religious life has suited Sister Irene well. She thrived while moving from school to school during her teaching years. “I thought of myself as a bee moving from flower to flower,” Sisters says. “Along the way, I’ve helped others and myself to deepen our relationship with God.”

Sister Irene delivered that help in some unique ways, drawn to the challenge of engaging the kids who didn’t want to be there. “I’ve always had a soft heart for those who struggle,” she says. “I tried to invent ways to make them like learning. I wanted them to love learning.”

She truly found her niche in 1953 when she settled into a longer tenure at SS. Cyril & Methodius School in Bethlehem, Pa. She recalls her collective 15 years there — including six as principal — as remarkable. “It was the strongest channel of grace I have experienced in my religious life,” Sister says.

But other duties called and, in keeping with our community charism, Sister went to where the need was greatest, teaching at various parish schools in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and earning a bachelor’s degree in education from Seton Hall University and a master’s degree in library science from Villanova University.

She later put her organizational skills to the test, serving as librarian at Allentown Central Catholic and at our own St. Francis Academy, before moving to Don Bosco Seminary College and Queen of Peace Retreat Center in Newton, N.J. Both spiritually enriched her and provided opportunities for what she calls “incidental evangelization,” connecting with people without having to follow a lesson plan.

She still counts among her dear friends Bishop Alfred Schlert, who currently heads the Diocese of Allentown and with whom she collaborated at Notre Dame Catholic High School in Easton, Pa. Sister still abides by some sage advice “Al” gave her years ago: “If you’re having a cup of coffee, just focus on the flavor of the coffee. You’ll save so much energy that way.”

After 75 years in religious life, Sister Irene still makes a habit of stopping along the way to taste life’s proverbial coffee, managing to find the lighter side of most situations. “Just this. Just now,” she says. “Only one thing at a time.”

Sewing has always been a favorite pastime and, in recent years, Sister Irene has kept busy sewing and altering garments for others, including her Sisters in community. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she also sewed masks.

“I love learning something different,” she says. “I always find something to entertain myself.”

Retirement allows plenty of time for prayer, reading, hobbies — among them a life-long passion for stamp collecting — and writing to those who are ill “to remind them that they are being prayed for.” There’s also some ongoing work she does with a wink. “There are some who have strayed away from the church,” she says with a sly smile. “I work on them in a sneaky way.”

Now 93, Sister remains as active as possible at Monocacy Manor in Bethlehem, Pa., which she calls home. Yet, the place and the space never seem to matter much to Sister Irene. After all, that which she cherishes most is always nearby. “God alone,” Sister says. “Nothing else matters to me.”