Sister Mary Bader, CSJ
Nov 19th 2009
Print All
Margaret Beahan
November 22nd 2009
margaretbea@yahoo.com
Sr Mary Bader, then called Mother Verona, became the prinicpal at St John Vianney School in Flint in September, 1954. I was a junior in high school. Sr Mary and all the Sisters of St Joseph made a tremendous difference in our young lives. The first class graduated in 1955. The tuition was $20 per year per family. You know that means the Sisters received hardly any stipend for their tireless work. Our high school had fewer than 200 students in the four classes. We had sports teams (for boys), choir, band, yearbook, Latin Club with Roman banquets, National Honor Society, etc. Our education was excellent. We seemed to have everything that more established, bigger high schools had to offer. I often said to Mary in recent years, "How did you Sisters do all that work?" She would just smile and nod her head.
A few years a friend of my brother, Tom, told me a story. The teacher was writing on the blackboard so was not facing the class. There was some kind of commotion and the teacher accused my brother of creating it. The friend tried to protest and tell what had happened. The teacher sent our friend to the office to see the Principal, Mother Verona. She listened to the young man's story and walked to the classroom. She called my brother and the teacher out in the hall and listened to both sides of the story. The teacher apologized to my brother and his friend. Sr Mary Bader was an excellent listener to people of all ages.
I later learned that Mary was very influenced at Nazareth Academy by Sr Claudia who used to talk constantly about the five "L's." I am not sure but they might have been live, listen, look, laugh and learn. Mary learned her lessons well and taught them unceasingly and, in a quiet way, to so many of us. I loved her dearly and will miss her and remember her all my life. I am very grateful to her for many lessons. Margaret Beahan,
SJV High School 1956 and Nazareth College 1965.
Margaret Beahan
November 22nd 2009
margaretbea@yahoo.com
Sr Mary Bader, then called Mother Verona, became the prinicpal at St John Vianney School in Flint in September, 1954. I was a junior in high school. Sr Mary and all the Sisters of St Joseph made a tremendous difference in our young lives. The first class graduated in 1955. The tuition was $20 per year per family. You know that means the Sisters received hardly any stipend for their tireless work. Our high school had fewer than 200 students in the four classes. We had sports teams (for boys), choir, band, yearbook, Latin Club with Roman banquets, National Honor Society, etc. Our education was excellent. We seemed to have everything that more established, bigger high schools had to offer. I often said to Mary in recent years, "How did you Sisters do all that work?" She would just smile and nod her head.
A few years a friend of my brother, Tom, told me a story. The teacher was writing on the blackboard so was not facing the class. There was some kind of commotion and the teacher accused my brother of creating it. The friend tried to protest and tell what had happened. The teacher sent our friend to the office to see the Principal, Mother Verona. She listened to the young man's story and walked to the classroom. She called my brother and the teacher out in the hall and listened to both sides of the story. The teacher apologized to my brother and his friend. Sr Mary Bader was an excellent listener to people of all ages.
I later learned that Mary was very influenced at Nazareth Academy by Sr Claudia who used to talk constantly about the five "L's." I am not sure but they might have been live, listen, look, laugh and learn. Mary learned her lessons well and taught them unceasingly and, in a quiet way, to so many of us. I loved her dearly and will miss her and remember her all my life. I am very grateful to her for many lessons. Margaret Beahan,
SJV High School 1956 and Nazareth College 1965.