Sister Therese Shikwana

Sr. Therese with Sr. Beneeya.

A life devoted to teaching, faith, & service

By Mirna Ayar

Sister Therese Shikwana’s journey is a powerful testament to faith, resilience, and dedication to service. She has played a pivotal role in the Chaldean community and the Chaldean Catholic Diocese. As one of the first sisters to settle in Michigan, she helped lay the foundation for future generations of sisters and supported the growth of the Chaldean community both within the Church and in local schools.

Born in Alqosh, Iraq, on May 18, 1944, she lost her father at age 1. Raised by her deeply religious mother, Sister Therese developed a strong sense of spiritual purpose. From an early age, she felt a deep calling to devote her life to God, a calling that would lead her on a remarkable journey of teaching and service across continents.

As a child, Sister Therese’s love for the Church was evident. She recalls spending hours in her sanctuary—the church—longing to attend Mass and learn more about God. Despite teasing from her siblings about her devotion, nothing deterred her from her desire to serve. Her mother, a guiding influence, took her to church regularly, nurturing her faith and spiritual foundation.

At age 16, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sister Therese took her first religious vows as a novice in her religious order. In the early years of her vocation, she traveled extensively, teaching in churches and classrooms across the Middle East. During this time, she discovered a profound passion for teaching, particularly working with young children and adults. “I love teaching. It is a talent and gift from God,” she often said, recognizing that her true calling extended beyond the Church and into the classroom.

A New Chapter in America

In her late 20s, Sister Therese’s journey took a pivotal turn when her superiors in Iraq instructed her to settle in the United States. The transition was difficult. Financial constraints meant there were no convents available for the Chaldean community in Michigan, and the cultural and language barriers presented added challenges. She found herself living at St. Rita’s, a community of American sisters in Detroit, far from her home and familiar surroundings.

Despite the challenges, this period marked the beginning of Sister Therese’s long-standing commitment to the Chaldean community in Michigan. In the late 1970s and 1980s, the Chaldean community in Michigan was small, and Sister Therese worked tirelessly to help it grow in faith alongside a few other sisters. She spent weekends teaching communion and preparing children for the sacrament at various Chaldean parishes across Metro Detroit with Sister Clotelda Kinaya, traveling from church to church and teaching hundreds of students the word of God. Over time, she became a beloved figure in the community, building strong relationships with many families.

However, Sister Therese’s aspirations went beyond the walls of the Church. She was determined to continue her education and pursue a career in public teaching, a goal that would shape her future.

A Career in Public Education

In her mid-30s, Sister Therese enrolled at the University of Detroit, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a teaching certificate. She believed it was important to guide young minds on the righteous path, both in and out of the classroom. This passion led her to Detroit Public Schools, where she began her career as an educational technician, which helped her financially as she paid for college courses. With limited resources, Sister Therese faced many challenges, including long commutes, as she had to take multiple buses each day to reach her job.

Her path into the classroom was not easy. When she first started teaching in public schools, Sister Therese faced skepticism and resistance. As a nun wearing a habit, she was often under scrutiny from administrators and colleagues. “I felt like they were watching my every move, waiting for me to make a mistake,” she recalls. Despite these early challenges, her unwavering faith kept her grounded. She trusted that God was guiding her and believed every hardship she faced was part of a greater plan.

In 1984, Sister Therese began her career as a certified teacher at Western High School. However, her time there was brief before she transitioned to Pershing High School in Detroit. At Pershing, she not only taught in the classroom but also provided counseling and interpretation services for Chaldean students, offering valuable support to help them navigate both their education and their new environment.

Building Relationships & Earning Respect

Over time, Sister Therese’s kindness, dedication, and commitment to her students earned her the love and respect of both her students and colleagues. Her students, many of whom came from diverse backgrounds, sought her out not just for academic guidance but also for life advice. Teachers, too, began to turn to her for support and wisdom, especially as they navigated the challenges of public education. Sister Therese’s classroom became a place of refuge, creativity, and joy, where learning was both fun and meaningful.

One of Sister Therese’s proudest achievements was the improvement in math scores in her classroom. Though math was often seen as a difficult subject, Sister Therese’s innovative teaching methods made it more accessible and engaging for her students. “It was never difficult teaching students from different backgrounds,” she reflects. “God’s hand was always guiding me, and just the way they treated me made me know I was doing something right.” While teaching at Pershing, Sister Therese served on the bilingual committee, where she played a key role in tutoring fellow teachers on effective techniques and innovative methods for instructing bilingual and bicultural students from diverse backgrounds.

In the late 1980s, Sister Therese’s commitment to education led her to apply for a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree. Although she doubted her chances of being selected, given the financial struggles of the Chaldean community and the skepticism surrounding her presence in the public school system, Sister Therese was chosen. The scholarship allowed her to attend Wayne State University, where she earned her master’s degree in education in 1990. She would go on to complete her Doctorate in Education at the age of 53, a milestone that reflected her lifelong commitment to both teaching and learning.

After 20 years of teaching at Pershing High School, Sister Therese felt it was time to retire and shift her focus solely to teaching catechism and communion within the Chaldean Diocese at various parishes. Though she believed her teaching career had come to an end, retirement didn’t last long. She was soon offered a teaching position at the Maria Montessori Center, a role she embraced for another 13 years. She viewed this new opportunity as part of God’s plan, arriving in her life in a way that felt divinely orchestrated.

In 2017, Sister Therese officially retired and moved to the Sacred Heart Convent in West Bloomfield, where she lives with three other religious sisters from the Chaldean Sisters: Daughters of Mary Immaculate Convent, including her own sister, Sister Beneenya Shikwana. Sister Beneenya entered religious life at the age of 12 in Iraq and set a strong example for Sister Therese, having served as a school principal in Baghdad before relocating to the United States in 2013.

During her retirement, Sister Therese has dedicated much of her time to caring for her elderly sister at the convent, viewing this as an extension of her mission to serve others through her vocation. In her retirement, she enjoys spending her free time sewing, a longtime hobby of hers. She has made various vestments for priests within the community and even crafted all the costumes for the Passion of Christ play at Mother of God Chaldean Catholic Church one year. Reflecting on her love of sewing, Sister Therese recalls a time when she couldn’t afford a graduation gown that cost $900. “Instead, I sewed the same gown for my friend and me, and it only cost me $90,” she said, showing how her passion for sewing has always been both practical and meaningful to her.

A Legacy of Service

Sister Therese Shikwana is a unique figure in the Chaldean community, being the only Chaldean nun to have taught in a public school in Michigan. Her legacy is defined by selfless service, deep faith, and the belief that education is one of the greatest tools for shaping young minds and guiding them toward a righteous path.

Now, with decades of experience behind her, Sister Therese’s journey continues to inspire students, families, and educators alike. Her unwavering devotion to teaching, love for her students, and steadfast faith have left an indelible mark on the community she has served so faithfully.

“I never feared,” she says, reflecting on her career. “I knew that every time something bad would come my way, God was leading me to something even better. He never neglected me.” Through her faith, perseverance, and dedication to teaching, Sister Therese Shikwana has become a shining example of how one person’s love for God and others can transform lives.

Mirna Ayar is the Advancement & Development Director for the Chaldean Catholic Diocese.