Customer Reviews

St. Hedwig and Me: Life in a Chicago Orphanage

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Very easy reading. An interesting story about life in an orphanage where the children were taught morals, values, obedience, discipline, and the work ethnic. But where was the love that all children so desperately need during their formative years? The author was able to overcome this obstacle and become a worthwhile, productive member of society. This is a attribute to the values taught at the orphanage. This book gives one an opportunity to compare his/her childhood with those who were reared in an orphanage setting. A thought provoking and interesting reflection of the author's childhood.

A very fast and interesting read of a street smart 8 year old in a Catholic orphanage, and his maturation into a decent young man over the next 8 years. His recollections are amazing, as is the nostalgia he feels. I enjoyed it very much!

A TRULY GREAT, INSPIRING BOOK SUCH AS THIS HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE 1939! THIS WAS THE YEAR THE AUTHOR, MICHAEL KRECIOCH WAS BORN. THE NOVEL WAS "BLACK NARCISSUS" BY RUMER GODDEN'S. THE REASON FOR THE COMPARISON, NOT SINCE "BLACK NARCISSUS" HAS THE TRUTH BEEN TOLD ABOUT CATHOLIC NUNS. WHAT MR. KRECIOCH HAS DONE IS CAPTURE IN A HUMANIZING WAY THE TRUE ESSENSE OF "BLACK NARCISSUS" EVEN THOUGH IT IS OBVIOUS THE AUTHOR PROBABLY HAS NEVER READ THIS BOOK NOR HAS SEEN THE 1947 BRITISH CLASSIC. AFTER READING ST. HEDWIG AND ME IT WAS APPARENT THAT THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN MEMORY THAT NUNS WERE PORTRAYED FOR WHAT THEY WERE. HUMAN. WITH ALL OF THE FRAILITIES THAT GO WITH IT. ALTHOUGH MR. KRECIOCH WAS NOT AWARE OF IT AT THE TIME, IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT THEIR IS DIVINE INTERVENTION AT PLAY AND ULTIMATELY MR. KRECIOCH HAS GOTTEN OUT THE STORY OF SISTER MARY (MARCIA) MARCY BALDYS. MR. KRECIOCH WRITES "I HAVE KNOWN AND ASSOCIATED WITH MANY OTHER NUNS DURING MY LONGER THAN EIGHT YEAR STAY AT THE ORPHANAGE. MY INVOLVEMENT WITH SISTER MARCY WAS BRIEF. NEVERTHELESS, THE LONE YEAR THAT WE INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER MADE ME THE MAN I AM TODAY." "SHE TAUGHT ME WHAT REALLY HARD WORK WAS, BUT SHE HELPED ME REALIZE THE RESULTS OF MY HARD WORK AND HOW REWARDING IT COULD BE. FAIRNESS WAS ANOTHER OF THE SPECIAL QUALITIES THAT SHE INSTILLED IN ME. IT REALLY HELPED ME IN MY LENGTHY CAREER ON THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT. MARCY WAS NOT A WOMAN'S LIBBER, BUT SHE TAUGHT ME TO RESPECT WOMEN, ALL WOMEN. SHE SAID I COULD NEVER GO WRONG IF I TREATED A WOMAN AS MY EQUAL." "AT A GATHERING OF THE ST. HEDWIG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN OCTOBER 1996 I FINALLY GOT TO PUBLICLY THANK SISTER MARCY FOR GUIDING ME THROUGH SOME PRETTY HORRENDOUS TIMES. SHE WAS WISE BEYOND HER YEARS. SHE TURNED TWO OF THE BIGGEST TROUBLE MAKERS INTO TWO VERY PRODUCTIVE AND SUCCESSFUL CITIZENS OF OUR SOCIETY. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME WHILE I TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THE FINEST TEACHERS I HAVE EVER KNOWN. MARY BALDYS WAS BORN TO GENEVIEVE AND PHILIP BALDYS IN WEST HAMMOND, ILLINOIS, ON MARCH 23, 1915. SHE WAS BABTIZED INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BY THE REVEREND B. NAWAKOWSKI AT ST. ANDREW THE APOSTLE CHURCH IN CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS, ON APRIL 4, 1915. ON AUGUST 23, 1935, SISTER MARY MARCY MADE HER FIRST PROFESSION OF ANNUAL VOWS UNTIL SHE PRONOUNCED HER FINAL VOWS ON AUGUST 23, 1941. ONE OF HER FIRST TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS CAME IN 1933 AT ST. JOHN OF GOD PARISH IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. SHE TAUGHT THE FIFTH GRADE FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. IN 1935, SHE TRANSFERRED TO ST. JOSEPH PARISH IN CHICAGO AS A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR FIVE YERS. IN 1940 SISTER MARCY WAS SENT TO BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, TEACHING AFRICAN AMERICANS AT THE HOLY FAMILY MISSION SCHOOL IN ENSLEY. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR APPROX. SIX YEARS. HER FIRST STINT AT ST. HEDWIG ORPHANAGE, ALSO KNOWN AS ST. HEDWIG INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CAME IN 1946 AS A SEVENTH GRADE TEACHER. AFTER APPROX. THREE YEARS, SHE LEFT FOR AN ASSIGNMENT AT ST. BRUNO'S PARISH, IN CHICAGO, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. THE FOLLOWING YEAR SHE WAS ASSIGNED TO ST. HYACINTH PARISH IN LA SALLE, ILLINOIS, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. SHE REMAINED AT ST. HYACINTH FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. FROM THERE SHE WENT TO HOLY ROSARY PARISH IN NORTH CHICAGO, FOR A TWO YEAR TOUR OF DUTY. SISTER MARCY'S DEVOTION TO HER FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT HER ENTIRE LIFE, SELFLESSLY SERVING OTHERS. SHE CROSSED OVER FROM THIS WORLD TO THE NEXT ON NOVEMBER 22, 1999, SHE HAD ALLOWED US TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH HER FOR 84 YEARS OF LIFE. I KNOW THAT SHE IS IN A BETTER PLACE AND IN A POSITION OF INFLUENCE. I HOPE AND PRAY THT SISTER MARCY WILL PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME IF SHE THINKS THAT I DESERVE IT. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE. SHE CERTAINLY DESERVES HER PLACE IN HEAVEN. I GIVE HER ALL THE CREDIT FOR KEEPING ME OUT OF JOLIET STATE PENITENTIARY. YOU TAUGHT ME WELL, SISTER." I HEAR TODAY THAT THE CATHOLIC NUNS ARE BECOMING LESS AND LESS, AFTER READING THE BOOK I STRONGLY BELIEVE MR. KRECIOCH'S LIFE WAS CHANGED BY SOME OF THESE VERY NUNS. ALTHOUGH SOME NUNS WERE NOT AS GOOD AS OTHERS, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THEY TRIED TO MAKE A SAFE AND SECURE HOME FOR THE ORPHANS IN THEIR CARE. FROM THE BITTERNESS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK, TO A CHANGED MAN AT THE END, MR. KRECIOCH IN HIS FIRST ATTEMPT AT WRITING A BOOK, HAS BECOME A CRUSADER WITHOUT KNOWING IT FOR THE STORY OF SISTER MARCY AND THE MANY MORE NUNS LIKE HER WHO SELFLESSY GIVE THEIR LIVES TO GOD AND HELPING THEIR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. SISTER MARCY SHOULD HAVE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION FOR SAINTHOOD FROM WHAT I READ IN THE BOOK. MR. KRECIOCH SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR NEVER GIVING UP ON HIS DREAM TO WRITE THE STORY OF HIS "INCARCERATION" IN A CATHOLIC ORPHANAGE. PLEASE BUY AND SUPPORT THIS BOOK SO THAT MR. KRECIOCH CAN SOMEDAY TELL THE FULL STORY OF SISTER MARCY. TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

I AM THE AUTHOR'S SON AND RIGHT NOW YOU MAY THINK MY OPINION IS BIASED. BUT IT'S NOT BIASED IN THE WAY YOU WOULD THINK. READ ON AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND HOW EVEN I HAVE GONE FROM BITTERNESS TO FORGIVENESS. A TRULY GREAT, INSPIRING BOOK SUCH AS THIS HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE 1939! THIS WAS THE YEAR THE AUTHOR, MICHAEL KRECIOCH WAS BORN. THE NOVEL WAS "BLACK NARCISSUS" BY RUMER GODDEN. THE REASON FOR THE COMPARISON, NOT SINCE "BLACK NARCISSUS" HAS THE TRUTH BEEN TOLD ABOUT CATHOLIC NUNS. WHAT MY DAD HAS DONE IS CAPTURE IN A HUMANIZING WAY THE TRUE ESSENSE OF "BLACK NARCISSUS" EVEN THOUGH MY DAD CAN HARDLY REMEMBER THE NOVEL, LET ALONE THE CLASSIC BRITISH MOVIE FROM 1947. AFTER READING "ST. HEDWIG AND ME" IT WAS APPARENT THAT THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME IN MEMORY THAT NUNS WERE PORTRAYED FOR WHAT THEY ARE. HUMAN! WITH ALL OF THE FRAILITIES THAT GO WITH IT. ALTHOUGH MY DAD WAS NOT AWARE OF IT AT THE TIME, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THEIR IS DIVINE INTERVENTION AT PLAY AND ULTIMATELY MY DAD HAS GOTTEN OUT THE STORY OF SISTER MARY (MARCIA) MARCY BALDYS. MY DAD WRITES "I HAVE KNOWN AND ASSOCIATED WITH MANY OTHER NUNS DURING MY LONGER THAT EIGHT YEAR STAY AT THE ORPHANAGE. MY INVOLVEMENT WITH SISTER MARCY WAS BRIEF. NEVERTHELESS, THE LONE YEAR THAT WE INTERACTED WITH EACH OTHER MADE ME THE MAN I AM TODAY. SHE TAUGHT ME WHAT REALLY HARD WORK WAS, BUT SHE HELPED ME REALIZE THE RESULTS OF MY HARD WORK AND HOW REWARDING IT COULD BE. FAIRNESS WAS ANOTHER OF THE SPECIAL QUALITIES THAT SHE INSTILLED IN ME. IT REALLY HELPED ME IN MY LENGTHY CAREER IN THE LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT. MARCY WAS NOT A WOMAN'S LIBBER, BUT SHE TAUGHT ME TO RESPECT WOMEN, ALL WOMEN. SHE SAID I COULD NEVER GO WRONG IF I TREATED A WOMAN AS MY EQUAL. AT A GATHERING OF THE ST. HEDWIG ALUMNI ASSOCIATION IN OCTOBER 1996 I FINALLY GOT TO PUBLICLY THANK SISTER MARCY FOR GUIDING ME THROUGH SOME PRETTY HORRENDOUS TIMES. SHE WAS WISE BEYOND HER YEARS. SHE TURNED TWO OF THE BIGGEST TROUBLE MAKERS INTO TWO VERY PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS OF OUR SOCIETY. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME WHILE I TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THE FINEST TEACHERS I HAVE EVER KNOWN. MARY BALDYS WAS BORN TO GENEVIEVE AND PHILIP BALDYS IN WEST HAMMOND, ILLINOIS, ON MARCH 23, 1915. SHE WAS BAPTIZED INTO THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BY THE REVEREND B. NAWAKOWSKI AT ST. ANDREW THE APSOTLE CHURCH IN CALUMET CITY, ILLINOIS, ON APRIL 4, 1915. ON AUGUST 23, 1935, SISTER MARY MARCY MADE HER FIRST PROFESSION OF ANNUAL VOWS UNTIL SHE PRONOUNCED HER FINAL VOWS ON AUGUST 23, 1941. ONE OF HER FIRST TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS CAME IN 1933 AT ST. JOHN OF GOD PARISH IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. SHE TAUGHT THE FIFTH GRADE FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. IN 1935, SHE TRANSFERRED TO ST. JOSEPH PARISH IN CHICAGO AS A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR FIVE YEARS. IN 1940 SISTER MARCY WAS SENT TO BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, TEACHING AFRICAN AMERICANS AT THE HOLY FAMILY MISSION SCHOOL IN ENSLEY. SHE REMAINED IN THIS ASSIGNMENT FOR APPROX. SIX YEARS. HER FIRST STINT AT ST. HEDWIG ORPHANAGE, ALSO KNOWN AS ST. HEDWIG INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CAME IN 1946 AS A SEVENTH GRADE TEACHER. AFTER APPROX THREE YEARS, SHE LEFT FOR AN ASSIGNMENT AT ST. BRUNO'S PARISH, IN CHICAGO, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. THE FOLLOWING YEAR SHE WAS ASSIGNED TO ST. HYACINTH PARISH IN LA SALLE, ILLINOIS, TEACHING THE EIGHTH GRADE. SHE REMAINED AT ST. HYACINTH FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS. FROM THERE SHE WENT TO HOLY ROSARY PARISH IN NORTH CHICAGO, FOR A TWO YEAR TOUR OF DUTY." SISTER MARCY'S DEVOTION TO HER FELLOW HUMAN BINGS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT HER ENTIRE LIFE, SELFLESSLY SERVING OTHERS. SHE CROSSED OVER FROM THIS WORLD TO THE NEXT ON NOVEMBER 22, 1999. "SHE HAD ALLOWED US TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH HER FOR 84 YEARS OF LIFE. I KNOW THAT SHE IS IN A BETER PLACE AND IN A POSITION OF INFLUENCE. I HOPE AND PRAY THAT SISTER MARCY WILL PUT IN A GOOD WORD FOR ME IF SHE THINKS THAT I DESERVE IT. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE. SHE CERTAINLY DESERVES HER PLACE IN HEAVEN. I GIVE HER ALL THE CREDIT FOR KEEPING ME OUT OF JOLIET STATE PENITENTIARY. YOU TAUGHT ME WELL, SISTER." I hear today that Catholic nuns average 68 years of age approx. Not enough young women are heeding the call of our Lord today. We need many more Sister's like Sister Marcy in this world today, not less. It is books such as this that can make a difference in the world. If nothing else, let this be a wake up call! We need to spread the word about nuns such as Sister Marcy who have helped countless souls strive toward Salvation. I was shocked when I finished reading my Dad's book and my life has been changed forever. I also strongly believe now that my Dad's life was changed by some of these very nuns. Although some nuns were not as good as other nuns, the bottom line is that they tried to make a safe and secure home for the orphans in their care. From the bitterness at the beginning of the book, to a changed man at the end, my Dad in his first attempt at writing a book, has become a crusader without knowing it for the story of Sister Marcy and the many more nuns like her who selflessly give their lives to God and helping their fellow human beings. Sister Marcy should have serious consideration for Sainthood from what I read in the book. My Dad should be commended for never giving up on his dream to write the story of his "incarceration" in a Catholic Orphanage. Please buy and support this book so that my Dad can someday tell the full story of Sister Marcy. Tell your friends and God Bless You All!

An excellent, fun and quick read. His ability to relate special moments and the visual images he created was amazing.

Book was very disappointing... there was almost a whole chapter of how the author stole his first bottle of whiskey...
I was looking to hear more about the total operations of the orphanage system, not about the author.