Sister M. Gerlinda Bernátová

“All through God, in God and for God,
To His greater honor and glory and the salvation of souls.“ 
Bl. Alphonse Marie

Sister M. Gerlinda – Helena Bernátová
*8-14-1925   †12-26-2022

Sister Gerlinda was born on August 14, 1925, in Lipovec pri Prešove.
In 1927, her parents moved to Daletíc, where she lived her childhood and youth.
She attended school in Jarovnice. She had six siblings.  

She decided to follow the footsteps of the Lord and on August 27, 1948
entered the Cloister of the Sisters of the Divine Redeemer in Spišská Nová Ves and became a candidate.
On August 28, 1949 she became a novice in Levoča. She made her first profession on September 17, 1950 in Prešov.
She made her final profession on July 17, 1960 in Hraňa.

In 1950, she received her first assignment for apostolic work in the state Hospital in Prešov.
There she also graduated from Nursing.

On August 29, 1950 the forced internment of Religious Sisters began.
However, hospitals did not have enough lay trained nurses.
Therefore, for a certain time, the Religious Sisters were allowed to work there. In 1957,
Sister Gerlinda also had to leave the hospital.
Her new apostolate was the Institute for Physically and Mentally ill, first in Hraňa and from 1964, in Batizovce.
There she worked as a nurse for 27 years in the spirit of our charism in the department for the mentally ill women.

In 1989, the fall of the totalitarian regime occurred. Religious communities again could freely perform their mission.
In September 1991, our Sisters ended their mission in Batizovce and Sister Gerlinda was transferred,
first to Spišské Vlachy, then Spišská Nová Ves (1998)
and Snina (2002-2005) working in the kitchen and helping with various household chores.
She spent her last years in the community in Vrícko,
from where our Lord called her to Himself to eternity on the feast of St. Stephen, martyr.

Long life of Sister Gerlinda wasn't easy. She was one of the Sisters,
whose life was marked by totalitarian regime and it could not develop in outward freedom.

However, Sister Gerlinda always maintained the spirit of service, smile and openness.
She liked to do handwork - embroidery, crocheting, she worked in the garden and grew flowers.

We thank our Sister Gerlinda for her silent and selfless service and the spirit of prayer in which she never ceased.

The soul of our deceased Sister we recommend to the prayers of the Sisters and of God’s people.