August 2021 Newsletter

FAITH INTO ACTION AUGUST, 2021 NOTRE DAME SISTERS 3501 State Street, Omaha, NE 68112 (402) 455.2994 | NotreDameSisters.org

FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY.

BELOW ARE UPDATES ON OUR WORK.

Five Sisters celebrate jubilees 320 years of religious service across the Midwest between them

Five Notre Dame Sisters are celebrating jubilees this year: Sr. Margaret Hickey (top right), Notre Dame Sisters Provincial President is celebrating 60 years along with Sr. Corona Humpal, ND (top left), and Sr Irene Dvorak, ND (bottom left). Celebrating 70 years are Sr. Joan Polak, ND (center) and Sr. Ernestine Havlovic, ND (bottom right).

Our jubilarians have far too many accomplishments to list on one page!

We will be releasing individual stories for each Sister celebrating her jubilee throughout the month of August at notredamesisters.org/news.

Generations across Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas know Sr. Ernestine Havlovic, ND. She 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 travelled far from the Midwest, making her Central and South American ministries some of the most impactful in her life. After graduating from College of St. Mary’s and Duchesne College, she spent 13 years teaching in the Midwest. 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 from 1969 until 1982 with the Douglas County welfare department 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 travelled across the Midwest for more than 20 years teaching religious educators how to get the most out of the textbooks and keep students engaged. She always enjoyed travelling and visited holy sites and cathedrals with her mother in 23 countries.

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, 19982005, and currently from 2013-2022. Still, Sr. Margaret managed to also act as Spiritual Director, organist, team member, Associate Director, and Formation Director during her years of teaching. ...

Sr. Corona Humpal, ND, spent 30 years from 1963-1993 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.

After 30 years of teaching in and around the Omaha Metro, she continues to serve people right here. As a resident of Notre Dame Housing in North Omaha, Sr. Corona manages the gift shop with items made by residents and Sisters, including many of her beautifully crocheted items. She volunteers at NDH for their food programs for residents, and gets out in the community serving St. James Seton School in the Kids Care Program.