Necrology of Sr. M. Gabriela Kubecka, pddm

Celebrating the life of Sr. M. Gabriela

Necrology received from the General House of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master.
Available also on www.pddm.org

Dear Sisters,
As today’s liturgy presents to us the following verse of the Gospel: “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it” (Mk 8:34), we received the news that the Divine Master has found, prepared for heaven, our young sister Sr. M. Gabriela Aneta Justina Kubecka, born in Lublin (Poland) on February 27, 1980. This encounter with the Bridegroom took place at 4:30 this morning, February 21, 2014, in the hospital of Lublin, Poland. Despite the suffering and with great faith, her parents, who are still living, received the news of the death of their beloved daughter whom they had visited and greeted yesterday.

Before entering the Congregation, Aneta was active in the youth group of the Light-Life Movement. Her pastor introduced her in the following manner: She is a person of prayer, modest, sociable, industrious, responsible. She desires to offer herself to the Lord through ministry in the Congregation of the Sister Disciples of the Divine Master. I believe that she has many qualities that will enable her to serve God well in this Congregation.

A promising and hope-filled young woman, she entered the Congregation in Czestochowa on October 16, 1999. Following her novitiate in Czestochowa from 2002 to 2004, she made her first Religious Profession on June 29, 2004. In her request for admission to the profession she wrote: “I desire to consecrate my entire life to the service of God, dedicating myself to the journey toward a complete unity of life with Jesus Master, Way, Truth and Life”. In presenting her for the profession, the novice mistress highlighted some characteristics of Aneta Justina: “Aneta has a great capacity for learning and makes use of this in her serious dedication to her personal study to deepen her knowledge of the doctrine of the Church and of our charism. She willingly shares what she has discovered in her personal study with her group. She has a growing sense of belonging to our Congregation and to the Pauline Family, and knows how to live her vocation joyfully. She also has a sense for beauty in the liturgy and our liturgical ministry” (Sr. M. Ursula Szymanska, 3/20/2004).

After her profession, she was initially assigned to the liturgical apostolate in Czestochowa, and then in Warsaw. She then studied nursing in Warsaw for three years, after which she spent some time as a nurse in Czestochowa, caring for the sisters who were infirm. She acknowledged that this time was beneficial for the growth of her self-offering to the others. In her self-evaluation in preparation for the perpetual profession, some personal points are important: “My journey of conforming to Jesus Master has been marked, on one hand, by a great desire for holiness and fidelity to spiritual direction, and on the other hand I found within myself a great deal of impatience and the temptation of perfectionism. I learned to see not only the weaknesses within myself…but also the action of grace. Working as a nurse, I was careful to remember the many facets of our apostolate, for example, serving as an organist, cultivating prayer for priests, helping in the workrooms for sewing, and cultivating a spirit of silence in reparation for the sins committed through the means of communication and as a space for listening to God. Throughout the years of my Juniorate, I cultivated the continuous lectio of the Bible, knowing how important this nourishment is for me. The crowning moment of my formation was the stay in Italy and the participation in the trimester in preparation for the perpetual profession. The participation in the international community of Rome was a great source of enrichment. Knowing the treasure of the cultures, I am more convinced each day that Jesus Master, in whom we believe and proclaim, always remains the same. I am learning to accept the diversity while seeking that which is truly important: Glory to God and peace to humanity”. (Rome 10/18/2010).

In her request for admission to the perpetual profession, she expressed this desire: “I desire,
following the example of Mother Scholastica Rivata, to become a burning candle and joyfully offer
my life that God may be glorified and humanity be saved…. May God fulfill the work he has begun
by calling me to follow Jesus Master more closely, and may I say at the end: It is no longer I who
live, Christ lives in me” (Rome 10/18/2010, Feast of St. Luke). She also expresses her joy in the
invitation she sent to the Mother General to participate in her perpetual profession.
After her perpetual vows, celebrated in the Church of St. Martin in Lublin on February 13, 2011,
she was asked to offer her services as a nurse at the House for Priests of Lublin, where she remained
to the present time. She carried out this ministry with great responsibility and competence, also
giving priority to her prayer in the morning hours. Recently, while treating an elderly priest, who
subsequently died, she was infected with the Clostridium difficile bacterium, for which she was
hospitalized for treatment. She was cured of this infection, but was diagnosed more recently with
breast cancer, and underwent chemotherapy after having undergone surgery. Her weakened
immune system was unable to protect her from a recurrence of the bacterial infection which, despite
immediate medical intervention, became septicemia, causing her death.

The sisters from Poland wrote of her: “We remember her as a person of prayer and of silence. She
was a person of few words, who did not make much noise, but dedicated herself to fulfilling her
assignments well. She avoided useless discussions and did not concern herself with superfluous
matters. She was committed to personal work, and knew how to take advantage of all the means
offered to her for personal growth. She always distinguished herself in her obedience and sincere
collaboration with the persons responsible for the various sectors. She was clear and upright, and
fulfilled her apostolate with dedication, precision and generosity. She nourished her spiritual life;
every morning she would rise early to pray in order to serve the elderly priests. She made good use
of her time, uniting her nursing ministry with personal study, and also offering a great service to
the provincial secretary in the translation of the Italian texts. On her own, she learned to play the
organ, and offered her service as an organist in each community, even for our Pauline celebrations.
She possessed a lively sense of belonging to the Pauline Family and always willingly participated in
the formative encounters and the pilgrimages of the Pauline group to Jasna Gora. More recently
she prepared herself spiritually to face sickness and accept the necessary treatment. She perceived
this as an occasion to bear witness, especially to those persons combating this same illness”.

To this young sister, whom Jesus Master prepared for himself, like the precious pearl formed in a
short time, we entrust the Province of Poland, her natural family and the upcoming Council of the
Institute, which will also be studying the General Plan of Formation.

Dear Sr. M. Gabriela, may you shine forever before the Throne of God. Intercede for priests in
need and take to heart all the sisters of the Congregation, especially the youngest ones who, like
you, love Jesus Master and offer their lives for him and for the brothers in every part of the world!

Rest in peace!

Written by Sr. M. Paola Mancini
Pie Discepole del Divin Maestro - Casa generalizia - www.pddm.org