Sister Lillia Langreck, SSND

• Professed 1948
• Current Ministries: English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor and peace activist in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Previous Ministries: elementary teacher, elementary librarian, parish ministry, RCIA director, coordinator of adult literacy center (Milwaukee Achiever Literacy Services), pastoral associate at St. Rose Parish

How did it all begin? One of our pastors in our small rural parish gave a yearly talk on vocations. As a middle grade student, I felt a longing in my heart to be a Sister. My only contact with Sisters at that time was our short summer sessions with the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. When I was in sixth grade, St. Mary's School, staffed by School Sisters of Notre Dame, opened in Neillsville. My eighth grade teacher, Sister Justa Bauman, was my favorite. She was a marvelous educator and a caring, loving person. Knowing her reawakened my desire to be a Sister. Knowing that this congregation was dedicated to Mary affirmed my choice of wanting to be a School Sister of Notre Dame.

Because my grandmother, who lived with us, was failing in health and had grown senile, I decided to stay at home to help take care of her. I did not enroll in the local high school. During the course of that year, my greatly loved grandmother, died. That freed me to follow my dream. The following September, I traveled to the Academy of Our Lady in Chicago to be an SSND Aspirant. Somehow that longing to give my life in dedicated service never left me. For the first 25 years of my religious life, I was an elementary teacher, teaching primary grades and then grades 6-8. While teaching I was also school librarian. My years of ministry took me to Chicago and then to St. Francis in Milwaukee, where I had my first cross-cultural experience. I learned much in those years. After that I served at St. John's, Marshfield and then spent my remaining years of ministry in Milwaukee parishes.

In these past years, I have had many opportunities to use my creative skills - and many opportunities for cross-cultural ministry. Through my various ministries, (teacher, librarian, learning center director, evangelization minister, RCIA director, pastoral associate), I have met many beautiful people. While in parish ministry I became aware of the needs of the Asian community and of other refugee groups. With the help of Milwaukee Achiever Program, I was able to establish a north-side center. We were able to open our doors to many Lao, Hmong and people of other cultures. This was a very rich experience and I have established friendships with people of many cultures. I feel rich indeed.

S. Lillia (in floral print blouse) with ESL students

After my years as English as a Second Language (ESL) coordinator, I continued in parish ministry as pastoral associate at St. Rose and as RCIA director for our tri-parish region. All of my opportunities for ministries flowed out of the needs of the time. All of them were opportunities to live out that dream of our Mother Theresa Gerhardinger - to make one. Here in this multicultural setting, I feel that we are one family and each time at liturgy that I hold hands with others during the Our Father, I feel so connected with out whole world. We are one family of God, and as a member of our SSND international community I can celebrate that oneness.

It is 62 years since I took that first step to be a School Sister of Notre Dame. I have never regretted that choice. It is good to be part of a community that calls us to be contemplative women of compassion - a congregation that responds to the needs of the powerless and poor, who care about all peoples and our Mother Earth. We know that whatever our ministry choices are, we are bonded to one another, to all peoples and to all of creation. It is good to walk with others who have the same hopes and dreams for our world today.

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