Spotlight on Family: Sister Cecilia Kondrc

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Cecilia Kondrc was the daughter of Jan Kondrc and Anna Kondrc (dont know mother's maiden name). I believe that she was born in Brestovany on August 8, 1911. In the book "The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia" she mentions that she lived in a small village outside of Bratislava. I really do not have any real documentation on Sister Cecilia, its just from the book, the LIFE article and bits a pieces that I have heard from folks.

I also know that a relative of hers (Steve Kondrc) my great grandfather was born in Brestovany. While young she worked on the farm with her brothers and sisters. Unfortunately I don't know all their names as a few of them were changed in the book due to the fear of reprisal. She had at least three sisters that I can name Mary Kondrc who married a Hudek and lived in Canada. Tonka Kondrc I know she visited her sister Mary in Canada its in the LIFE magazine article. And I found an immigration for a Agnes Kondrc visiting her sister in Canada.

Her father was in the army in 1917 and returned shortly before Czechoslovakia became its own country in 1918. Cecilia joined the convent of the Daughters of the Most Holy Savior in Bratislava. I can go into details of her life, but I think taking the time to read the book "The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia" would be a much more interesting way to get all the facts. Also you can get a copy of the 1954 LIFE article about her life. It also talks about the made of TV movie "The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia" played by Claudette Colbert.

She helped priests, and nuns escape religious persecution, and then she herself had to flee in the underground network in Slovakia making her way to Austria, and then Germany (1952). She entered in the United States around 1954 and headed to California before finally settling in Crown Point, Id.

Sister Cecilia passed away on January 20, 1985 in Crown Point, Indiana.

About Post Author

Xfaith

David has been an avid home genealogist for 15 years, researching surnames: DECKER, KONDRC, MACZEK, HOPFENGARTNER, PERUTZ, LEDERER, and more.

5 comments:

AndreaMay 22, 2011 at 9:02 PM
Between the ages of 11 & 12 in 1967/68, I read "The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia" & was so moved by the book that, even at such a young age & before anything like internet existed, I researched the Daughters of the Most Holy Saviour in the US, found their US motherhouse in Oakland, California (now closed), & wrote to Sister Ceclia there. By then she was no longer in Oakland but in Indiana, & my letter was forwarded to her there. She very kindly wrote back to me & thanked me for reading her book. She told me all about her experience, in her own words & handwriting, & sent me several recent photos of herself - by then she was wearing a modified habit. Even at age 11 I was struck by her modesty - she didn't feel she had done anything heroic or special, only what she HAD to do to escape & help others do the same. It was all very natural to her to have put her life on the line to help others while fleeing the Communists. She was truly amazing. We
corresponded several times over the next few years. She was very sweet & loving. In 1970 I started high school & [foolishly] lost touch with her. From there I went on to college, got married in the 1980s, & no longer had her address in Indiana nor the photos she'd so thoughtfully sent me so many years earlier. I always wondered about her & what might have happened to her. I'm saddened to read she passed away in 1985 - she would only have been 74 - not all that old, by today's standards. I wish now that I still had her letters & photos in my possession as a rememberance of her & her kindness. She was a very special human being, not only for what she did during her escape from Czechoslovakia, but also because she clearly was kind & thoughtful throughout her entire life. It was a privilege to have known her, even as I did, only thru letters & for such a brief few years. I will never forget Sister Cecilia & was blessed to know her.
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AnonymousFebruary 23, 2013 at 2:13 PM
I first became acquainted with Sr. Cecelia back in 1965-66 when I purchased her book in one of our school sponsored book sales to encourage students to read. As a young Protestant, a book with a nun on the cover was something that piqued my interest because nuns were very mysterious beings to me, and I often wondered what their life was like. I journeyed with her through the pages of her book while she continually managed to evade those pursuing her until she found her way home to safety. I too tried to contact her, but I wasn't as fortunate as the previous poster to have made contact.

Sr. Cecelia's story of her unshakeable faith to go against the Communist government and assist people as the fled the country, and eventually her own heroic escape made a profound impression on me, and she was my childhood hero whom I wanted to be able to emulate in some way. To this day I have such admiration for her and have sought in vain to locate a copy of the film about her life that starred Claudette Colbert. I think I am not alone in saying that she loved my many who knew of her only through her story, and although she is no longer among us, her memory will always be very much alive in the hearts and minds of those who shared her incredible journey. By the way I still have the original paperback book of her story, which has fallen apart fomr being read and re-read. I kept it, but I have replaced it with a hardback edition. You are blessed to be related to this remarkable woman!
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UnknownJuly 24, 2021 at 1:26 PM
Hello!

I am working on a book that talks about Sister Cecilia Kondrc's life and escape. I recently had a chance to visit her grave. Do you have any artifacts or photographs related to her? Or do you know where I can find any? Like her rosary, prayer card of St. Joseph, etc.? You can reach me at: fjastrzembski10@jcu.edu.

Thanks,
Frank
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AnonymousDecember 28, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Like many of you, I corresponded with Sustet Cecilia from the time I was twelve in 1960- until I graduated from high school in 1965. The convent she founded was in Gary Indiana under Bishop Grutka. Only one sister remained when Sister Cecilia passed. That Sister went on to become a Franciscan. She wrote to
me once in the early ‘90’s.. Do contact me for more information: misscrabtree@ comcast. net
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