(1933 - 2015)

It is humble to be given gifts.  
We pray they may bring shots of light as they stay with us 
And have the urgency of the gentle Spirit  
- From Barb’s poetic reflection at the beginning of INAI Studio, June 2, 1973

Sister Barbara Chenicek, known to family and friends as Barb, was born on April 7, 1933, in Chicago. She was the first child born to George and Patricia (Pazour) Chenicek. Her brother Don was born three years later. Of her parents, Sister Barb wrote:

My father was brought up in a completely non-Catholic atmosphere. His side of the family has no religious of any kind. He became a Catholic when he married my mother. My mom was raised in a small South Dakota town where the people had never seen a sister and the only priest they ever came in contact with was the aging pastor whom they saw at Sunday Mass.

Sister Barb attended St. Philip Neri for grade school and then Aquinas High School. Choosing the school she would attend was always difficult for her parents because one or the other would insist on her attending a public school. Sister Barb found it remarkable that she had been able to complete twelve years in Catholic Schools.

Read more about Sister Barb Chenicek (pdf).

Click here to view "A work of art: Adrian Dominican Sisters lose a dear friend" written by Lonnie Huhman for The Daily Telegram.