Tyszko, Lydia Ann

• Sister Lydia Tyzsko, SOS

Born 14 March 1915 in Hamilton, daughter of Gregory Tyszko and Anna Zwolak; entered 21 January 1939; first vows 15 August 1941; final vows 15 August 1947; died 10 October 2002.

The daughter of Polish immigrants who arrived in 1913, Lydia grew up in Hamilton, where her parents assisted in the establishment of the city's first Polish Catholic church. In the church, she founded programs for young women. At home, she nursed a younger sister, Josephine, who had contracted scarlet fever. Lydia studied at St. Ann’s school, Cathedral High School and a year of business courses at Park Business School. After her formal education, Lydia was employed as a stenographer and bookkeeper in Hamilton. Lydia entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton for a month in late 1938 before being admitted to the novitiate of the Sisters of Service in January 1939, professing first vows on August 15, 1941 and final vows in August 15, 1947.

For her first appointments, Sister Tyszko was assigned to helping the young women in the community's residences in Toronto (1940-1942), Montreal (1942-1943) and Vancouver (1943-1946). Throughout her life, she assisted newcomers to Canada. With her European roots and experience and fluency in languages, she was able to bridge the transition.Upon the request of the Catholic Welfare Bureau in Fargo, ND, Sister Tyszko joined the staff in September 1946 for three years and also helped with the mission’s catechetical program on weekends and during the summer. Returning to Vancouver as superior of the residence in the postwar period of 1949 until 1955, planned movies, musicals, sing songs and English-language classes were arranged especially for the women and men working in the federal employment program for Displaced Persons. During the spring and summer of 1951, Sister Tyszko travelled across the country, visiting the missions, representing Sister General Mary Quinn as the Extraordinary Visitor.

Back in Eastern Canada, she received a posting as superior at Montreal residence (1955-1957) before moving to Halifax to attend the Maritime School of Social Work (1957-1959). Shortly after graduating in May 1959, she resumed residence work as superior in Edmonton (1959-1961), the final assignment before embarking on a diverse career as a professional social worker. She joined the staff of Catholic Family and Child Services (1961-1966) under the Edmonton archdiocese as its first social worker, also helping to develop the social agency. Accepted to open the community's South American mission, she studied at the Coady International Institute in Antigonish, NS (1966-1967), where she also served as Dean of Women (1967-1968) at the Coady Institute. In June and July 1968, she accompanied Sister General Mary Reansbury to Brazil and Peru to explore mission locations in South America. Upon returning and council approval, Sister Tyszko enrolled in the Latin America Institute in St. Mary’s, Ontario to learn the Portuguese language and prepare for the new mission in Brazil. In June 1969, Sister Tyszko and Sister Leona Trautman, a long-time teacher in the community's western rural missions, opened a mission in Casa Nova, Brazil. In co-ordination with the Edmonton Province Redemptorists, the sisters provided religious instruction, trained catechists and assisted women for two years. Upon returning to Canada, Sister Tyszko joined the Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto (1972-1978), working with families in the north end of the city.

In 1978, she returned to the women’s residence in Halifax as director and superior (1978-1982) and became chaplain to the Polish community in Halifax (1982-1987) after she assisted 10 Polish seamen, who jumped ship in Halifax in August 1981. Almost immediately, the police took the young men, who had spent two days sleeping and hiding in a city park, to the Polish-speaking Sister Tyszko. Sister Tyszko helped the men apply for permanent status, enroll in language schools and find work. For the Sisters of Service, she was a member of the Chapters in 1954 and 1960, where she also acted as secretary. In 1987, she assumed the position of bursar-general and retired in 1993. During her term as treasurer, the financial operation was streamlined and consolidated with a lay chartered accountant hired to provide professional oversight.

After a sabbatical at Gonzago in Spokane, Washington, she returned to Halifax (1995-1996) and Edmonton (1996-1997) before joining the retired sisters at Scarborough Court for three years. She moved to Providence Centre in 2001, where she died in her sleep at the age of 87. The wake service was held at the chapel in Scarborough Court. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated by Fr. Charles Reeves, chaplain of Scarborough Court and was followed by burial in the SOS plot in Mount Hope cemetery in Toronto.

Created by F Rousselle Dec 19, 2025

Biographical sketch adapted for brevity from complete biography written by SOS congregational archivist MC Havey.