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Sister Marya Zaborowski, MM
Born: December 11, 1932
Entered: September 6, 1951
Died: July 6, 2024
Scripture tells us of the many gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed on us. Marya received many of these gifts as was evident in her medical, educational, and social justice ministries during her 50 plus years in Hong Kong.
Anne Helen Zaborowski was born on December 11, 1932 in Staten Island, New York. Her parents, Joseph Anthony, and Helen Francis Demboski, as well as her sisters Rose and Vera and her brother Joseph have all predeceased her.
Anne Helen graduated from St. Peter’s High School in June 1949 and after short courses at Baker Business School and Hunter College, she entered Maryknoll from Immaculate Conception parish on September 6, 1951. Marya was assigned to The Venard, Maryknoll Father and Brother’s Seminary, in Pennsylvania for her postulancy and then came to Maryknoll, NY for her novitiate.
At Reception, she was given the name Marya which she liked and kept all of her life.
Her First Profession was on March 7, 1954 at Maryknoll, NY: and her Final Profession on the same date in 1960 also at Maryknoll.
Marya earned her BS degree in nursing with a specialty in psychology from St. Francis Xavier College for women in Chicago on June 6, 1960. This was the first of numerous certificates of excellence Marya received in many fields of nursing specialties.
Marya was assigned to the South China Region in 1962. Her first assignment was to be a companion for a Sister studying language in Miaoli, Taiwan, so Marya began her study of Cantonese with a private tutor in a Hakka speaking area. This poor start probably accounts for the fact that Marya, despite her intelligence, never became proficient in Cantonese.
In 1963, she joined the staff at Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital in Wong Tai Sin in Hong Kong. She had numerous responsibilities as a nurse and in 1974; she went to Sydney, Australia to study for a diploma in Nursing Education, which she attained in 1976. Returning to Our Lady of Maryknoll hospital, she became Director of the school for enrolled nurses, which the hospital had set up in 1971. She demanded nothing short of excellence for these young women and they were grateful for the strict training that Marya provided.
After 35 years of dedicated service at Maryknoll Hospital, Marya was appointed Director of Congregational Health Services at Maryknoll where she served from 1985 to 1993.
Marya returned to Hong Kong and was involved at Maryknoll hospital until 1998 when she resigned from the hospital and began a career in education where she proved to be a very innovative teacher. The Oblate Fathers invited her to begin enrichment classes in Human Development with Primary 5 and 6 students. Marya proved equal to the task and only highly motivated students were in her primary 6 class. If any students did not realize how fortunate they were, there were other classes with other teachers.
In 2005, Marya started what became a 15-year commitment to St. Teresa’s English Sunday school where she taught groups of Primary 4 students. She said “…it was a challenge to share my life and spiritual vision with 8- to 10-year-olds after working with the student nurses.”
In June of 2007, Marya began her third major ministry when she became the English editor for the publications of the Asian Human Rights Commission, which served as a human rights voice in Asia. Marya said, “My horizons have been expanded by this collaboration”.
In addition to her retirement ministry, Marya 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 Councilor on the newly founded Maryknoll Convent School Foundation.
In September 2022 due to health issues, Marya returned to Maryknoll and became a member of the Eden community. We want to thank the members of the Eden staff who understood and cared for Marya.
We welcome Father Davie, LaBuda, MM who is here to celebrate Marya’s liturgy.