HONG KONG (SE): Sister Marya Zaborowski died peacefully at the age of 92 on July 6 [Sunday Examiner, July 21], at the Maryknoll Sisters’ Nursing Home in New York.
Born Anne Helen Zaborowski on 11 December 1932, she entered the Maryknoll Convent on 6 September 1951 and was given the religious name, Marya, which she kept all of her life. She made her first profession on 7 March 1954 at Maryknoll and made her final profession on 7 March 1960.
Sister Zaborowski earned her BS degree in nursing with a speciality in psychology from St. Francis Xavier College for women in Chicago on 6 June 1960. It was the first of numerous certificates of excellence she received in many fields of nursing specialities.
In 1962, she was assigned to the South China Region and studied Cantonese. The following year, she joined the staff at Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital in Wong Tai Sin. In 1974, she went to Sydney, Australia, to study for a diploma in Nursing Education, which she attained in 1976. When she returned to Our Lady of Maryknoll hospital, she became director of the school for enrolled nurses, which the hospital had set up in 1971. Her students were grateful for the excellent training that she provided.
After 35 years of dedicated service at Maryknoll Hospital, Sister Zaborowski was appointed congregational health director at Maryknoll, NY, where she served from 1985 to 1993.
She returned to Hong Kong and continued at Maryknoll Hospital until 1998 when she resigned and began a career in education teaching Human Development to Primary 5 and 6 students at the Oblate Fathers school and conducting extracurricular English conversation classes.
In 2005, Sister Zaborowski started what became a 15-year commitment to St. Teresa’s English language Sunday School. She said, “…it was a challenge to share my life and spiritual vision with 8- 10-year-olds after working with the student nurses.”
In June of 2007, she began her third major ministry when she became the English editor for the publications of the Asian Human Rights Commission, saying, “My horizons have been expanded by this collaboration.”
In addition to her retirement ministry, Sister Zaborowski continued as a member of the Maryknoll Hospital Board of Governors and also served on the hospital’s Ethics and Service committees. She also served as a councillor on the newly founded Maryknoll Convent School Foundation.
In September 2022 due to health issues, Sister Zaborowski returned to Maryknoll, NY Nursing Home. She died peacefully at the age of 92 on July 6.
She had a profound impact on the lives of many people through her various ministries. Her unwavering faith, empathy and strong work ethic serve as an inspiration to all who knew her.
