Sister Collette Bruskewitz 

Family, parish, and hometown history in my life are very connected. Certainly, I remember the Catholic school and the sisters who were teaching there, as well as my family’s respect and love of the priests and religious in our parish, who were part of our extended family in many ways.

My brother’s seminary life and our visits to him, as well as his classmates’ visits during the summers, made religious life real and possible. The School Sisters of St. Francis were an important part of my mother’s life after her mother died, and my father was taught by the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Our assistant pastors were comfortable visiting our home. Priests and sisters were good people – fun and holy.

The sister teachers I had said there was a need for new sisters and our Lord could be calling us. When I was in fourth grade, our School Sisters of St. Francis celebrated the 75th anniversary of their founding and invited city grade school girls to sing in the tableaux telling the history of those years. I loved singing and marching, representing one of the grade schools at which the sisters taught. I represented one from Nebraska and loved the idea of “far-away” places.

After meeting the aspirants in the play, I thought I could try it and looked for a community that had a high school connected so I could study there. I thought if I became a sister, I would learn how to pray better. I was grateful for studying the Church in seventh grade, which Sister Bartholomew was teaching while also pursuing her own theological education – the Mystical Body of Christ.

Each sister in our parish was unique, and I thought they were kind and interesting. Some of their parents would stay at my parents’ home when they came to visit their daughters, which was a different means of connection.

Preparation and ministry were part of my education in high school, Novitiate, and college. Because I was sent on mission after first profession, I finished my college training over 14 summers, after a week or two of summer catechism teaching each year. Going back to Alverno each summer was its own joy, especially being with the sisters around my class and age group. Mother Corona told me when she sent me to Monroeville, Indiana, that Sister Clarella was an experienced teacher who would help me with class preparation. Graduate work at Marquette was completed over six summers.

My experiences as a religious were varied, and each was good. Now, thinking about the places and positions in which I lived and worked, I have to say a big thank you to our Lord Jesus for all of them. Because I was young, I had a few difficulties, but I can see how gracious and providential many of them were. I did, and do, value the motivation that led me to religious life, that is, belonging to the God-Man as Spouse and giving my life to Him.

When the more serious changes began in our community, I wondered if Jesus were calling me to a more contemplative lifestyle and was willing to try that. The Carmelites were wonderful, but after 25 years in School Sisters of St. Francis, I was too much Franciscan and School Sister. I had a great relationship with the Carmelites, grew more serious about my prayer life again, and became acquainted with Blue Bunny Ice Cream of Le Mars, Iowa.

While Catholic education has been my primary ministry, I find that the more important focus is being recognized and witnessing as a Catholic sister for many people. The veil and simple dress help some people, young and old, to ask the question: Who are you, and why is this your life?

I was a teacher-organist in Monroeville, Pesotum, Aurora, Kankakee, and after earning my master’s degree at Marquette, I added adding principal to those roles in Frankenstein, Bloomingdale, Le Mars, and Glendale Heights. I later came to Nebraska, familiar with two-,three-,four-, eight-,and 16-room schools, which helped me share experience as assistant diocesan superintendent. It was a part-time job, with the other part serving as administrative assistant to the Bishop of Lincoln.

Nearing retirement is still surprising, except when I look in a mirror. I am so grateful for our sisters who come to serve here from India. The growth of the Indian provinces and outreach to young women in the newer mission areas is a great joy to behold! May God continue to bless them.

I would love to have a novitiate of young women pursuing the vocation of School Sister of St. Francis here in the United States. This is a time of prayer for a response to a religious vocation, and it may be a more difficult time for young women to walk away from a culture that offers less support for the spiritual life. Holy Week 2026 gave witness to a movement toward the Church with new converts of all ages. We had 96 college students received into the Catholic Church, and many dioceses have had many more than usual this year. Praised be Jesus Christ!

Congratulations, Sister Collette, on 70 years of sharing the ministry and charism of the School Sisters of St. Francis with the various lives you have touched over these years.