St. Anthony of padua
A HE A R TF E LT “ T HAN K YO U” T O D I R
Bonnie Nytes has served as the Director of Religious Education for our parish and school for over 10 years.
F
or over a decade, Bonnie Nytes has been a fixture in parish life at St. Anthony of Padua. As our Director of Religious Education, her hard work, dedication, and loving presence have been a tremendous blessing to all of us, and our community extends our heartfelt gratitude for her
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Bonnie
dedicated service. As Bonnie prepares to step down from the DRE position to fully embrace her new role as a licensed counselor with Catholic Charities, the moment is bittersweet — we are thrilled for her to be able to serve others in this new capacity, even as we know she will be dearly missed in our parish and school Religious Education programs. Since becoming the Principal at St. Dominic School two years ago, Carol Frericks has had the pleasure of witnessing the sacramental preparation of school students under Bonnie’s direction. Mrs. Frericks has constantly been amazed by the energy and grace that Bonnie brings to the classroom environment as she works with teachers and students to be sure everything is in place for their formation in the faith. When our parish recently transitioned back to the restored order of the Sacraments of Initiation, Bonnie took the changes in stride and made the process a smooth one for teachers, students, and families. “By the end of this year, Bonnie will have helped all those students through First Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation,” Mrs. Frericks says. “What an accomplishment for her — and she did it all like the Energizer bunny!” Everyone who has worked with Bonnie over the years has also noted her ability to connect with people on various levels. In fact, it was this gift that Fr. Tom Donovan noticed in Bonnie when he first met her as a seminarian at St. Mary Parish — now Blessed Sacrament. “Bonnie was teaching kindergarten at the time, and there is a sweetness in the heart of someone
