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Felician News |
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Office of Public
Relations
Teri Gatto
Director of Institutional Communications
(201) 355-1309
Susan Bernarducci
Public Relations Coordinator
(201) 355-1310
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Felician College Awards Prestigious President’s Medallion
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1/12/2003
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Felician Sister Mary Fidelma Klutkowski and Ms. Florence Adler were awarded the President’s Medallion from Felician College President Sister Theresa Mary Martin on December 15, 2002, for their outstanding service to others.
Sister Mary Fidelma Klutkowski received the Medallion for 53 years of loving service to God and His people as a Felician Sister. The youngest of five children, Sister Fidelma attended St. Theresa’s Elementary School in Linden, NJ, under the tutelage of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. There she formed many lasting friendships with the Sisters of Nazareth and considered becoming part of their community. “However, God was busy designing Plan B,” noted Sister Theresa upon awarding the Medallion to Sister Fidelma. Immediately following her graduation from Linden High School, Sister Fidelma was employed by W.A. Birdsall & Company, a local wholesale plumbing and heating supply house, where she performed a gamut of duties from billing to accounting. After eight years of employment there and a “strong exposure” to the Felician Sisters in her home parish, Sister Fidelma followed her heart and her calling to enter the Felician Order of Sisters.
She then moved quickly through a Baccalaureate Degree in Education at Seton Hall University, Business Education at Marywood College, Graduate Courses at Seton Hall University, and post-graduate courses at Temple University. Utilizing her degree in education, Sister Fidelma taught in elementary schools for nine years and in secondary schools for 12 years. When the then Felician Sisters’ Provincial Treasurer needed an assistant, she was asked to leave the world of teaching, draw upon her former experience in finance, “enter a ledger-strewn office and immerse her whole being into the world of finance,” noted Sister Theresa. Sister Fidelma was later promoted to the position of Provincial Treasurer when the sister in that position became seriously ill. For the past 31 years, Sister Fidelma has “masterfully managed to keep the Sisters secure by meeting with bankers, lawyers, financial analysts, and CFOs; sitting on boards; attending board finance committee meetings; engaging in community financial planning; overseeing the financial health of Felician’s corporate-sponsored institutions; and maintaining the financial security of the Sisters at a time when age and retirement were and are minimizing a once viable salary base,” said Sister Theresa.
In addition to her work as the Provincial Treasurer, Sister Fidelma is an active volunteer serving on the boards of trustees for Felician College, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Philadelphia; Our Lady of Grace Home in Newark, Delaware; and, St. Ignatius Nursing Home in Philadelphia.
The President’s Medallion honors Sister Fidelma for her “ love for God, for the charism of Blessed Mary Angela, for her Sisters in Community and for her family,” said Sister Theresa. “She is one of the most self-sacrificing, disciplined, conscientious and devout women I know. All she is and all she does flows from her incredible love for and commitment to Religious Life. The Power of her Faith, the strength of her fidelity, and the ardor of her love define who she is.”
Florence Adler received the Medallion for nourishing and nurturing the minds of countless children during her 40-plus years of teaching. Born in Garfield, New Jersey, Florence stayed close to her roots as she served in a number of professional capacities during her prestigious teaching career in the Garfield area.
She served as a history teacher at Garfield High School for more than 40 years where she taught American History, Sociology and Consumer Education. A beloved teacher whose dedication was recognized with a Teacher of the Year Award at Garfield High School, Florence volunteered her time as an advisor to the honor society and nursing club. In addition to her role as a teacher, Florence served as Assistant to the Principal at Garfield High School later in her career, drawing on her former experience as Principal of Woodrow Wilson Grade School. Her inspiration as a teacher, she says, came from watching students’ minds grow and develop and the enthusiasm they would display in the classroom. “That’s the true reward,” she says.
Now retired and living in Hackensack, New Jersey, Florence continues to impact the lives of others as an active volunteer in and around her community. As a volunteer for Holy Trinity Parish in Hackensack, NJ, she works in the rectory, is a Eucharistic minister, a Rosarian, and a member of the parish council and liturgy committee. Through her membership with the Hasbrouck Heights Women Club, Florence also performs charity work for the community and participates in a book club. Additionally, she is a member of Felician College’s “Older is Better” program.
Florence earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree at Montclair State and has completed post-master’s work at Columbia University.
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