Sister Yvonne Brais

(Sister Francesca Cabrini)

Picture a teen-age girl on her bike peddling the backroads of Illinois farmland happily approaching Our Lady Academy, Manteno. It is Yvonne Brais traveling to her summer job as a helper in the office of her school, run by the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary. She is warmly greeted by Sister John Berchmans (Sister Anna Mae Reardon) who takes Yvonne under her wing and teaches the future SSCM “everything she ever knew” about office work. A short time earlier, Yvonne became a student at the Academy. She recalls her first day at OLA; the girls so welcoming, the Sisters so thoughtful, caring, and gentle. She was home.

The family spirit captured the heart of Yvonne early and she continued to be closely connected to the Sisters whose charism encompassed her. They were a natural extension of her own large family whose parents offered their brood “a reverent, pious upbringing”. “Dad, you’re preaching again,” was a loving retort heard in the Brais household.

As the years progressed, Yvonne experienced a call to religious life. She was guided in her discernment by Sister Mary Catherine Fontaine, who continued to be a guide and mentor throughout her religious life. Sister Yvonne remembers Sister Mary Catherine’s quest for the will of God and the call to continuing conversion, as well as her dry sense of humor.

Sister Yvonne was a teacher for many years. She keeps lists of the children she taught and has a strong memory for particular people and places that is quite remarkable. Of all her ministerial memories, summers serving as a catechist in the rural areas are the highlight of her many years of ministry as a teacher and catechetical leader. Summers in the country brought a few Sisters together in an unstructured community setting to teach children the joys of following Jesus. They were happy times, and their memory is cherished.

The family spirit of the Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary is one that keeps growing in Sister Yvonne’s heart. It has been a part of her life for many years, since the days of Our Lady’s Academy, and she continues to live that charism deeply in her welcoming spirit, warm smile and interested concern. Sister Yvonne experiences the family spirit as part of the charism that keeps religious life vibrant, especially in challenging times such as these.

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