Sister Eleanor Olinski celebrated her 100th birthday on May 29, at Notre Dame Convent, at an afternoon tea with 35 members of her family along, with sisters from her community. The new sister centenarian was also presented with letters from the General and provincial councils as well as certificates of achievement from the pope, the queen, and Canada's prime minister. Sister Eleanor, who has been a vowed member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame for 81 years, was full of gratitude and all smiles throughout the afternoon as she shared this milestone with her family, friends and community.
Sister Eleanor professed her first vows in 1937 and was given the religious name, Sister Laurentia. After receiving her teaching certificate from Hamilton Normal Teachers College in Ontario, she ministered as a teacher and administrator for 35 years. She taught elementary school at St. Mary in Kitchener (1938-41); St. John in Hamilton (1941-44); St. Clement in Cambridge (1944-45); Sacred Heart in Kitchener (1945-50); Holy Family in Hamilton (1950-51); St. Joseph in Kitchener (1951-52); Our Lady of Lourdes in Waterloo (1952-53); St. Michael in Waterloo (1953-55); St. Anne in Kitchener (1955-57); and St. James in Oakville, where she was teacher and administrator (1957-61). She became a secondary school teacher in 1961 at Bishop Ryan High School in Hamilton, where she taught until 1969. She was then assigned to St. Mary’s High School in Kitchener until 1973.
In 1974, Sister Eleanor moved into pastoral ministry and served for twenty years. She was at Regina Mundi in Hamilton from 1974 until 1977; at St. James in Oakville from 1977 through 1980; and at St. Joseph in Oakville from 1980 through 1994. After a year of volunteer ministry at the Notre Dame motherhouse in Waterdown, she set off for Kamloops, British Columbia to work again in pastoral ministry for two years.
In 1997, Sister Eleanor went to St. Louis in Waterloo, working in Catechetical Correspondence until 2004, and then spent a year in prayer and presence there. She retired to prayer and presence at Notre Dame Convent in 2005.
