A Heartfelt “Thank You” To Director Of Religious Education Bonnie Nytes

Extending Our Gratitude for Years of Service to Our Faith Community

Extending Our Gratitude for Years of Service to Our Faith CommunityFor 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 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 who teaches kindergarteners and can engage them,” Fr. Tom says. “When I came back to Quincy and heard she was the DRE here, I thought that was just perfect! It impressed me the way she is able to extend herself and communicate with whoever is in front of her.

Bonnie Nytes has served as the Director of Religious Education for our parish and school for over 10 years.

“I know that parish life is a passion for her,” Fr. Tom continues. “I’m there for the Confirmations and First Communions, but she is the organizing energy behind it. It’s the people like her who do all the prep and all the work who are the unsung heroes of this parish, and she is definitely one of them.”

In addition to juggling her many duties in the parish, she has helped guide the sacramental preparation at St. Dominic by identifying and fulfilling the needs of the school as a whole, those of the various classrooms, and those of each student.

“Bonnie’s gift is that she can encourage, lead and teach in all these different ways,” Mrs. Frericks says. “She just has this amazing way about her — I’m sure it’s the Holy Spirit working through her. She is always calm and positive and so encouraging to the students. She has an amazing singing voice that she shares with us every week at Mass. And her faithfulness is the kind that when you hear the Bible verse about walking by faith and not by sight — that describes her.”

Our Religious Education programs and sacramental preparation have undoubtedly flourished with Bonnie at the helm!

“She has taught our teachers and our children so well, and planted so many wonderful seeds,” Mrs. Frericks says. “We can really use what we’ve learned from her to keep developing and growing in Christ. Bonnie is an amazing gift to our Catholic school — she has blessed us with these seeds that we will continue to nurture for years to come. We’ll keep her always in our hearts and in our prayers.”

“We are going to miss Bonnie,” Fr. Tom agrees. “But she is going to be using her skills even more for God and His people. We need counselors so badly in this area, so we may be losing a DRE, but we’re gaining a resource in our community. I would encourage anyone who needs counseling to seek her out and she will get you connected. I know she will bring the same skills of engagement and gifts of listening to her new job with Catholic Charities. It’s going to take a whole team of people to replace her. Bonnie — good luck, and we love you!”