Mother Andrea Spikula, Hegumena of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Mother of God

Ellen Nadia Spikula was born on May 19, 1917, in Chicago to Ilya Spikula and Maria Kostyshak. Ilya, originally from Ukraine, worked as a furniture maker, while Maria, born in America, worked as a nanny and in a factory before marriage. The couple had four daughters. Maria was passionate about music and ensured her daughters received a solid musical education, a love for music that Ellen inherited. Ellen sang in the church choir at St. Nicholas Parish in Chicago, where she also played the organ and conducted the women’s choir. 

The Gift of Music 

After attending an American public school and Ukrainian evening school at St. Nicholas Church, Ellen pursued higher education at Chicago Teachers College, earning a bachelor’s degree. Her love of music led her to earn additional bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from the Chicago Conservatory, where she wrote her thesis on Byzantine Slavic liturgical music. This research was later published in The Ark between 1948-1950, under the symbolic signature "ES." 

At the monastery, Mother Andrea taught music to students at the Mother of God Academy and to seminarians at St. Basil’s College in Stamford. The academy gained a reputation as a singing school because of Mother Andrea's profound influence. She wrote liturgical music and, together with Bishop Ambrose Senyshyn, organized the recording of various liturgical services to distribute to the faithful. 

The Gift of Art 

Mother Andrea was also an accomplished artist. Alongside her sisters, she helped prepare and publish two catechetical books, Welcome and Our Saints, creating all the illustrations and designs herself. She also provided artwork for the prayer books Christ is Among Us and Velychaiem Tia, published in the 1950s by Bishop Senyshyn. Her talents extended to illuminated initials and artistic designs for the journal The Ark. In addition, she managed the academy’s theater, preparing all stage costumes and decorations with the help of the students. 

The Gift of Teaching 

After entering the monastery, Mother Andrea continued her education, studying theology at Fordham University and early childhood development at the Stamford Center for Early Learning. The education she received over the years shaped her into both a remarkable person and a dedicated teacher. Though she specialized in music, at the academy she taught not only music but also religion, Ukrainian, English, Latin, mathematics, history, typewriting, piano, organ, a cappella singing, and theater. To further equip her students with teaching skills, she established a kindergarten at the academy where they could apply their knowledge in practice. Mother Andrea also encouraged all the sisters in the congregation to pursue education that would enrich their ministry. 

Mother Andrea Spikula was a special gift to the Missionary Sisters and to our Church in America.