Sr. Mary Paschal, Bernice Switala, CSSF, of Bay City, entered eternal life Aug. 30 in St. Joseph Convent, Livonia. She was 95 and in religious life for 76 years.

Bernice Switala was born July 7, 1922, the youngest of 14 children of  John and Elizabeth (Kukla). On Sept. 18, 1938, she entered the Seminary of the Felician Sisters in Detroit. On June 23, 1941, she was accepted into the postulancy. She was invested Aug. 12, 1942, first profession on Aug. 13, 1943, and final profession Aug. 14, 1949.

Sr. Switala earned degrees from Madonna University and Wayne State University, and taught for 61 years, including at Corpus Christi, Queen of Apostles, St. Stanislaus, Holy Ghost, St. Florian, St. Bernadette, St. Michael, Immaculate Conception, St. Mel, St. Genevieve, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Our Lady of Refuge and St. Thecla in the Archdiocese of Detroit. She was a tutor and preschool aide for another three years. She also taught at St. Hyacinth, St. Hedwig and St. Stanislaus in Bay City; St. Francis, Flint; St. Joseph, Manistee; Holy Rosary, Cedar; St. Mary, Parisville; St. Joseph, Jackson; and St. Stanislaus, Dorr.

In 2008, Sister retired to the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Central Convent as a Sacristy Assistant which she held until 2012.

Fr. Ronald Kurzawa celebrated the Mass of Christian Burial on Sept. 2 in the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel of the Felician Sisters’ Central Convent in Livonia. Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.