Then Came Heaven (1997) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

• Sister Regina: The main character in the story, a nun in the Order of St. Benedict. Holy Rule, the guide by which she must live her convent life, was giving her problems.
• Eddie Olczak: Janitor at St. Joseph's parish for 12 years and the father of Anne and Lucy. He'd lost his wife in a train accident. As janitor, his duties were many and included ringing the bells for Angelus, funerals, celebrations, etc.
• Krystyna Olczak: Mother to Anne and Lucy, wife to Eddie. She did much for the parish and was loved by many. She and Eddie had been sweethearts since she was 14.
• Anne Olczak: Oldest daughter of Eddie and Krystyna, in the fourth grade. She watched out for her little sister. When her mother died, she kept her feelings inside more than her sister did.
• Lucy Olczak: The youngest of the two daughters, in the third grade. More outgoing than her sister, funny.
• Romaine Olczak: One of Eddie's brothers, married to Rose. There were 14 children in the Olczak family.
• Sylvester: Another of Eddie's brothers, married. He offered to ring the church bells on Krystyna's death, but Eddie did it himself.
• Father Kuzdek: Anastatius T. Kuzdek, in his early 40s. The parish priest to whom Sister Regina and Eddie made their confessions. He was a very important man in the Archdiocese.
• Mary and Richard Pribil: Krystyna's mother and father.
• Irene Pribil: Krystyna's sister, a single woman who had been very close to Krystyna. She'd been in love with Eddie for years but never told anyone.
• Sister Agnes: Mother Superior of St. Joseph's School, in her late 50s.
• Sister Ignatius: The cook at the convent
• Sister Cecilia: The housekeeper at the convent, a woman who was a stickler for Holy Rule and their Consitution, monitoring the other nuns' consciences for them.
• Sister Samuel: The organist at the school, cross-eyed and plagued by hay fever. She sneezed on everything, taking out her handkerchief afterwards.
• Sister Mary Charles: An older nun, teacher of grades 5 and 6; a tyrant who punished the students by hitting them with a strip of flooring.
• Sister Dora: Teacher of first and second grades, a nun whom Sister Regina felt was as close to a friend as was possible in the convent.
• Sister Gregory: The piano teacher of the convent, fat. She said no to dessert at each supper but picked at it until it was gone and sometimes ate other nuns' unfinished desserts.
• Rosella Potlocki: Sister Regina's grandmother, a deeply religious person who had been paramount in Sr. Regina's calling.
• Cass and Hedylczak: Eddie's parents, he called them Mommo and Poppo; farmers and hard workers. They'd had years of loving one another through birthing fourteen children.
• Aunt Katy Gaffke: A great-aunt to Eddie who offered to be there for his girls after school and other important times, and wash and iron their clothes. She taught Anne and Lucy many useful, creative things.
• Sister Vincent de Paul: Prioress of St. Benedict's Convent where Sister Regina had to travel.
• Jean: Sister Regina's name before she joined the convent.
• Mother Agnes: Add a description of this character.
• Grandma Rosella
• Annie
• Mama
• Mommy
• Bertha
• Frank
• Sister Cecelia
• Lavyrie Spencer
• Mother Superior
• Lallyrie Spencer
• Gilman
• Liz
• Merle
• Grandma Pribil
• Rule

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Browerville, MN: The town where St. Joseph's parochial school was located. A small town whose residents knew one another well.
• St. Joseph's Parochial School: A Catholic school of yellow brick, where Sister Regina was the teacher of grades three and four. St. Joseph's had four classrooms, each holding two grades. There was another Catholic school in town, but this one was Polish and was first; the other was an offshoot and was German.
• Convent of St. Joseph's School: A 3-story white clapboard house about thirty feet west of the school. The chapel was located on the second floor.
• St. Joseph's Catholic Church: A Polish church in Browersville that had a school, convent and parish house connected to it. It was this parish for whom Eddie Olczak was janitor.
• Eddie Olczak's home: A smallish four-room house with a bathroom Eddie had put in himself. There were touches of Krystyna everywhere, things Eddie had made. The bedrooms and bathroom were on the second floor, kitchen and living room on the first. A block and a half from the school.
• St. Benedict's Convent: Located in St. Joseph, just west of St. Cloud. The mother house of the Benedictine convent.
• Main Street
• Rome
• Long Prairie

First Sentence edit see section history

Table of Contents edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. LaVyrle Spencer (Author)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: Add the Library of Congress Classification.
• Dewey: 813.54

Notes for Parents edit see section history

In this book the author has written about family love, dissatisfaction with a vocation to the convent and the reasons for both the calling and the dissatisfaction. There is no sexual content, only feelings of love and the corresponding actions.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Romance › Contemporary
• Books › Romance › Historical