Jean Kieltyka

Sister Jean Kieltyka, SNDdeN looks back on her life with deep gratitude for the love and encouragement of her parents, Eugenia and Theodore, and her large extended family. “I was born on August 31, 1936, and was named after my mother,” she says. As the first granddaughter on both sides of the family, she was especially loved. After 10 years as an only child, her younger brother joined their small family. Helping care for him sparked her interest in teaching and nursing. 

Sister Jean was educated at Holy Name Grammar and High School in Chicopee, Massachusetts, where she was inspired by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. “Upon graduation in 1954 my desire to become an SNDdeN member was put ‘on hold.’ My parents felt I was too young to make such a decision.” 

Instead, Sister Jean enrolled in a CNA program at Bay State Hospital in Springfield, MA, called “Earn While You Learn.” Her mind made up to join the Sisters, she viewed the opportunity as a way to gain life experience and save money toward her convent dowry.

The next year, in 1955, Sister Jean joyfully entered the SNDdeN community, taking the religious name Eugenia Theodore in honor of her parents. She was among the first group of Sisters to study at the Scholasticate, now called the Juniorate, attending classes at Emmanuel College while preparing for ministry. Her lifelong pursuit of knowledge lead her to study at Fairfield University, Albertus Magnus College, the University of St. Joseph and UConn Medical Center. These were “outstanding, life enhancing blessings,” she says. 

Her ministry as an educator took Jean to elementary and junior high schools across Connecticut—Hamden, New Haven, Newington and Westport. Sister Jean settled at St. Rose Parish and School in East Hartford and stayed for 23 years, serving as both teacher and principal and guiding the school through the transition from a junior high to a K–8 program. She also shared her gifts as a pastoral associate in Vernon, Connecticut. 

Later, Sister Jean embraced the work she had long desired. As the elderly outreach coordinator for the town of East Hartford, she dedicated 24 years to serving senior citizens in their daily lives until her retirement at age 84. 

With wonderful Sisters by her side offering inspiration and friendship, Sister Jean continues to draw inspiration from St. Julie Billiart’s words: “My heart melted within me when I thought of all the graces we have received.” 

Updated in 2025