Helen Regina Gzanowicz, 68, born April 1, 1953 in Little Falls, NY, the daughter of Harry W. and Helen M. Gzanowicz (Dzierzanoski) passed away Friday, September 03, 2021. She graduated from Little Falls High School in 1971.Miss Gzanowicz was raised in the Roman Catholic Faith. She was a convert to Pentecostalism in 1972 during the early years of the Jesus Movement in Herkimer, NY, at the Herkimer Pentecostal Church.

Helen graduated from America's oldest Pentecostal school in 1976, Elim Bible Institute in Lima, NY. In 1979 she earned her B.A. degree in English and Greek at William Jennings Bryan College in Dayton, TN. Miss Gzanowicz has the distinction of being the first woman student in Bryan's history to complete the course of study in Classical and Biblical Greek. She received the degree of Master of Arts in Religion in 1981 at Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA. Miss Gzanowicz also has the distinction of being the first Pentecostal woman student to graduate from Westminster, a Calvinist Orthodox Presbyterian seminary. Her studies at the Assemblies of God Graduate School (now the Assemblies of God Theological Seminar) in Spring, MO, earned her the degree of Master of Divinity in 1983.

During the summer of 1992, Helen discovered the Benedictine way of life while visiting Transfiguration Monastery, a Camaldolese Benedictine community in Windsor, NY. Later that summer she renewed her membership in the Roman Catholic Church. In July of 1993 Miss Gzanowicz joined the Windsor monastatic community as a Benedictine Oblate. In October 2008, Helen transferred her oblation to Mount St. Benedict Monastery in Erie, PA. She was a member of the St. Patrick's Church in Cato.

Miss Gzanowicz was employed as a medical transcriptionist since 1987. She lived in Syracuse, NY, from 1987 until 2005, when she moved to Cato, NY. She was last employed from her home by Oracle Transcription, Inc. (Rockville MD) .

Siblings include a brother Harry J. of Syracuse, a sister, Suzanne N. of Little Falls, 2 nephews, Michael David and Robert John Earl of Little Falls, and several cousins including Roger C. Gzanowicz of Frankfort, and Wayne R.Dziezanoski of Dolgeville, and many friends.

A graveside service will take place Monday, September 13, 2021, at 11:00 AM, at the Cato Union Cemetery. Arrangements are in care of the Keysor-Dain-Cullinan Funeral Home, Cato. For those wishing to make contributions in Helen's name they may do so to their local food pantry.