2021 JUBILARIANS

Five Notre Dame Sisters with 320 years of religious service between them, celebrated Jubilees in 2021: Sr. Margaret Hickey, Notre Dame Sisters Provincial President is celebrating 60 years along with Sr Irene Dvorak, ND, and Sr Corona Humpal, ND. Sr. Ernestine Havlovic, ND, and Sr Joan Polak, ND, celebrated 70 years.

Sr. Ernestine Havlovic, ND, has been a beloved teacher at nine schools and a principal at five schools across three states -- that’s 51 years of teaching and 31 years as a principal. Two incredible achievements were her tenures from 1978-1994 as principal and teacher at Blessed John Neumann, Clarkson, Nebraska, and from 1994-2002 as a teacher at St. John Nepomucene, Weston, Nebraska.

While Sr. Joan Polak, ND, was born in Brainard, Nebraska, she traveled far from the Midwest, making her Central and South American ministries some of the most impactful in her life. Her first international mission was in Chile, South America, from 1963 to 1967 and then she served in Honduras from 1994 to 2005. In between she worked diligently as a social worker with the Douglas County welfare department from 1969 until 1982 and from 1982 to 1991 with the Nebraska Department of Social Services.

Sr. Irene Dvorak, ND, spent more than 25 years teaching in Omaha and Iowa. She then embarked on a career path in religious education at St. Philip Neri in Omaha and St. Rose of Lima Parish in Genoa, Nebraska and taught CCD at St Patrick’s in Elkhorn. Sr. Irene also worked as a consultant with a religious textbook company. She traveled across the Midwest for more than 20 years teaching religious educators how to get the most out of the textbooks and keep students engaged.

Many people know Sr. Margaret Hickey, ND, as a teacher (although they may remember her as Sr. Phyllis), as her education legacy stretches across Omaha -- Beginning at St. Theresa’s in Omaha in 1963, she spent a few years at St. Michael’s in Harlan, Iowa, before returning to Omaha to teach at Notre Dame Academy, where she had attended high school. She then taught at Roncalli High School in the 70s, 80s, and early 2000s. Sr. Margaret served as Notre Dame Sisters Provincial President an impressive three times -- 1977-1983, 1998-2005, and from 2013-2022.

Sr. Corona Humpal, ND, spent 30 years from 19631993 in education: she started teaching with seventh graders at St. Adalbert’s Grade Schools in Omaha before moving to teach at Howell’s Grade School. She then taught at St. Wenceslaus Grade School, Spillville, Iowa before becoming a high school Math teacher at Notre Dame Academy, Wahoo Neumann High School, and Roncalli Catholic High School.