
Meet Your Sisters

Lynne Wardach
Myrrhbearing Lay Sisters Coordinator
From: Clarks Summit, PA
Church: St. Mary's Ruthenian Catholic, Taylor, PA (Passaic Eparchy), I am a cradle Byzantine Catholic.
Obedience: Education in the Faith
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Wife, mom & grandmother
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Associated with Holy Annunciation Monastery since 2004.
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Content creator at ByziMom.com, where I share reflections on being a Byzantine Catholic mother and free resources for educating young Eastern Christians in the faith.
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Creator and executive editor of ByziKids Magazine Author of The Jesse Tree, The Zacchaeus Tree, and The ByziMom's Guide to Great Fast Meals.
Other things about me:
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Former clinical laboratory scientist.
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Certified in plant-based nutrition, I live a whole-foods, plant-based lifestyle, and offer encouragement to those attempting the Eastern Catholic fasting regimen.
Patron: St. Veronika

Lisa Yan
Family from Hazim Slovakia
Born Slatington PA.
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Cradle Byzantine Catholic
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Church: St Peter and Paul Byzantine Church Palmerton PA
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Married with 4 daughters and 3 grandchildren
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Live in La Romana Dominican Republic
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Obediences: Sacristan and learning to write icons
I love to pray and study.
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Patron: St. Mary of Egypt

Loretta Fernandez
From: La Porte, TX
Church: St. Anne's Byzantine Catholic Community in The Villages, FL (Passaic Eparchy)
Obediences: Motherhood and Church Cantor
Married since 2014, blessed with 4 girls
Raised in the Latin church since birth, then our family changed our sui iuris church to the Byzantine church in 2023.
Working full time as a clinical pharmacist since 2012.
Patron: St. Martha
https://www.facebook.com/loretta.rios25?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Sr.Martha#0022

Mary (Podhayny) Weil
From: Omaha, Nebraska
Church:
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Omaha/Lincoln Byzantine Outreach (Eparchy of Parma)
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St. Barnabas Anglican Ordinariate, Omaha, NE
Obediences:
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ï‚· Grandmother (Busya) to 7 grandchildren (and counting)
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Spiritual and emotional support to children – Lisa, Nick and Jon, and husband, Bob
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Keeper of Eastern Traditions for the above
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Parent Ambassador ITI Catholic University, Trumau, Austria
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Student in Mentorship Program for Lay Leaders, Archdiocese, Omaha
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Volunteer at Methodist Hospital, Omaha
Other things about me:
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Retired Registered Nurse, St. Joseph Kidney Transplant Center, Orange, California.
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Formerly founding family at Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church, Anaheim, California from
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1968 – 2021. Coordinator of ECF, Advisory Board Member, Member of Choir, Member of Baking Guild
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Learning to appreciate the changes seasons and gardening
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Owned by 2 “empty nest” chihuahuas - Lola and Chetna
Patrons:
Holy Theotokos, St. Anne and St. Monica
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1914 S. 197th St. Omaha, NE 68130
Cell: 949-422-7876

Myrrhbearing Lay Sister
membership information
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Katherine Florich
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Currently Lives: East Peoria, Illinois
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Churches: St. Louis Byzantine Catholic Church and St. Philomena Roman Catholic Church.
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Obedience: Wife, Mother, and Homemaker
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Other Things About Me:
-Former Mining Engineer
-Three Daughters - Irene, Josephine and Marina
-My husband and I are both cradle Catholics, but switched to the Ruthenian Rite on our wedding day.
-I enjoy growing and learning in faith, especially through reading.
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Patron: St. Lydia
Discord name - Katherine.Florich

Annette Fisanick
From: Nicktown, PA
Church: Grew up Roman Catholic. Byzantine Catholic for 31 years. Still feel like a baby Byzi and eager to learn!
My church is Immaculate Conception of the BVM (AKA Saint Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church)
Obediences: Wife to Christian Fisanick. Met in 1989 on a Knights of Columbus Christmas party!
Mom to Alec Fisanick, 29 years and
Sara Fisanick, 26 years.
Mom to two fur babies:
Cat named Juniper and Dog named Binx
Head Cantor at Saint Mary's.
Choir Director
Regent for Catholic Daughters of the Americas
Member of our church's women's group
Sacristan
Other: Retired Registered Nurse. Worked on a Cardiac Critical Care floor with Transplants for 6 years
31 years as an LPN Instructor, recently retired
1998-2007 ECF Teacher
1999-2007 ECF Coordinator
Patrons: Saint Mary Magdeline, Saint Anne, and Mama Mary!
Address: PO Box 69 Nicktown, PA
Cell #: 814-934-0381

Maria Shysh
From: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Church: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Greek Catholic, Calgary.
Lifelong Byzantine Catholic, but late in learning about it.
Obediences: Marriage, Jesus Prayer and chotki mission,
parish flowers and plants person,
semi-sacristan
Turned 62 in February, Wife of 34 years,
mom to a daughter and son,
fur-mom to a Schnoodle dog, a green cheeked conure, and a house bunny,
volunteer with Ukrainian evacuees since March 2022
Active volunteer in the Ukrainian community in Alberta since age 16.
Fluent in Ukrainian.
Current chair of a Ukrainian Women’s League.
Other things about me:
Former Registered Nurse, love trying new crafts when time allows, love camping and the outdoors, love my quiet time alone at the church doing my duties
Patron:
Most Holy Theotokos
Contact:
Address: 423 Silver Valley Road NW
Calgary, AB, Canada T3B 4B8
Cell: 403-660-0754
E-mail: shyshkababa@shaw.ca
FB: https://www.facebook.com/maria.shysh/

Angela Wynn
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From: Azle, Texas
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Church: St. Basil the Great Catholic Church Irving, Texas, my family switched rites on the Feast of the Dormition 2020
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Obedience: Wife, Mother, Homeschooler, Byzikid Co-Op Coordinator for our Parish, Little Flower group leader for young girls
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Other things about me: I am a retired professional photographer and enjoy film photography as a hobby now. My husband has been accepted to deacon seminary and will start the four year program June 2023. We live on some land and have a mule, two donkeys, 8 chickens, an ever changing number of rabbits, one cat, and one goose.
Married for 12 years with four children Annelise, Josephine, Eloise, Leo.
Patrons: St Therese of Lisieux, Our Lady of Czestochowa
817-937-2839
AngelaMLW

Pam Pettit
Ancestors from Hungary/Poland/Ukraine and Slovakia immigrated to Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Born Albuquerque, NM - still here
Cradle Catholic, Parents helped establish Our Lady of the Assumption RCC. I was baptized on the parish
feast day shortly after the church was consecrated. Attended 8 yrs at the parish Catholic school.
Churches: Our Lady of the Assumption and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Byzantine Catholic Church
Obedience: Still discerning a specific myrrh while remaining attentive to the Holy Spirit. I respond to
requests for help. Also maintain two small flowerbeds at the entrance to the church and a small Marian
shrine my son built as an Eagle Scout; my effort is dedicated to Our Lady.
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About me:
ï‚· Divorced when our youngest of three was 18 months old. Majority of parenting fell to me (and
God), all three graduated college (two with Master’s).
ï‚· Son and wife are self-proclaimed atheists and raising their two children without faith.
ï‚· Oldest daughter is married to Fr. Adam (St Thomas the Apostle, Gilbert AZ), working as a full-time music/fine arts teacher, and raising three daughters.
ï‚· Youngest daughter is a professional musician, serving in the military and living in NYC.
ï‚· I’m still working from home most of the time, as a contractor for the Department of Energy.
Worked in many various positions over the years. BA in psychology with a minor in vocational
rehabilitation.
Patron: Born on the feast of St Panteleimon. Prayerfully considering St Svetlana as my lay sister patron
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padamsko@hotmail.com
Discord: pam#4991
https://www.facebook.com/pamela.adamsko/

Rose McGroarty Farry
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From: Brucoli, Sicilia
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Church: St. Elias Maronite Church, Roanoke, VA
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Obedience:
Wife to Jason Farry
Mother
Homemaker
Graduate Student
Educator
Religious Poet
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Other things about me:
I am a cradle Latin Catholic and transferred to the Maronite Church in 2022
I married Jason Farry in 2021 (he entered the Church as a Maronite in 2022)
We have one child and hope to have a large family
I am a PhD student at Virginia Tech (Geophysics)
My Master's thesis was about the evolution of the Martian crust (Geochemistry) - also at Virginia Tech
I love creative writing
I am a dancer and choreographer
I breed Australian Terriers and am an AKC Breeder of Merit
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Patron: St. Joanna the Myrrhbearer
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Discord: dandelioncrown#5140
Phone: 5404190814
Email: farrytalefamily@gmail.com

Angela Bross
From: originally from Sheffield, PA. I currently call Hampton, VA, my home. I have lived in Virginia since 2009.
Church: Ascension of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church in Williamsburg, VA (Passiac Eparchy). I am a cradle Byzantine Catholic. I grew up in St. Michael's Greek Catholic Church in Sheffield, PA. My paternal great-grandfather was from Yugoslavia and was one of the founders of the Church.
Obedience: Jesus Prayer, growing my prayer life,
Veterinarian - I practice integrative medicine on mostly small animals but some large animals using holistic modalities as well as Western medicine. I am self-employed and also work 1 day/week in a general medicine practice. I am typically engaged in furthering my holistic medicine skill set and am currently studying small animal osteopathy and veterinary rehabilitation.
Other things about me: I've lived in London, England, and 2 islands in the Caribbean. I enjoy reading and spending time with my beloved dogs to include behavior training. I love relaxing with my cats when time affords.
I'm divorced and annulled for 15 years. I live alone with my pets.
I strive to maintain a whole food plant-based lifestyle to include regular exercise.
Patrons: Saint Hildegard and Holy Theotokos
Discord name: SrHildegard/Angela B

Maureen Manzano
From: Scranton, PA
Church: St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church, Taylor
Born: Wilkes-Barre, PA - youngest of six
Cradle Roman Catholic
Drawn to the Byzantine Catholic Liturgy and Tradition
Married to Michael for 27 years
Obediences:
Wife and mother
Cantor/choir member
Looking after other family members
Praying for those in need of healing and/or conversion
Blood and platelet donor
Other things about me:
- Mom to our Maria (Ria)
Administrative Assistant at The Scranton School
for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children
Works part-time at a grocery store
Was a newspaper reporter for more than 25 years
Enjoys walks in God’s beautiful creation
Has a dog named Duke
Patrons: St. Mary of Bethany, St. Teresa of Avila

Maria-Fe Thielman-Geissinger
From: Fredericksburg, VA
Church: The Oratory of St. Philip Neri, Pittsburgh, PA
Obedience:
Wife
Homemaker
Educator
Healthcare worker (patient care technician)
Student
Other things about me:
- I am a cradle Roman Catholic, but I have a growing interest in Eastern rites and traditions. I didn't get serious about my faith until my first year of uni; it's been a long and very humbling journey, trying to live out the Christian life.
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- I received my faith tradition from my mother (from the Philippines), whose own dedication and steadfastness led to the conversion of my father (German-American). My husband, like my father, is an engineer; we met as undergrad students in an exosuit research lab. He's definitely the better half. :P
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- I'm right now trying to finish up my master's degree in bio-mechanical engineering. My thesis is long overdue. Eeek! (Please pray for me).
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- I like sewing, clothes-making, needlework, cooking, haiku, and videography, and I'm a fan of all things Jane Austen (my favorite book, possibly of all time, is Mansfield Park, although I can't quite put my finger on why).
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Contact: tmaria98@vt.edu

Jaime Parker
From: N. Canton, Ohio, currently living in Alliance, Ohio
Church: St. George Romanian Byzantine Cathedral in Canton, Ohio
(Raised Baptist, entered the Roman Catholic Church in 1999, found my home in the Romanian Greek Catholic Church in 2009)
Obedience: Education in the Faith
~Wife, Mother to 2 girls & 2 boys, Catechist
~Starting Byziclassroom in my parish
About me:
~Our homeschool/domestic church patrons are Sts. Benedict & Scholastica
~Our family lives a Benedictine spirituality with an Eastern phronema
~I run an Etsy shop (DropDownDew) where I sell my handmade, faith-inspired perfumes
~I love reading, photography, growing herbs & flowers, art, music, running, the Jesus Prayer, and my family
~I am an introvert, but people tell me I have a "huge laugh"
Patrons:
~St. Mary Magdalene (Magdalene is my confirmation name)
~I have a special devotion to St. Mary of Egypt & St. Anthony of the Desert
~I am praying about/to St. Photina for my lay sister name as I discern
Contact Me:
Discord: drop.down.dew.jaime#9816
Email: scottandjaime13@gmail.com (please note the spelling of my name so it gets to me)

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