Notre Dame bids farewell to Sister Kathy Brazda 

By Jean Lachowicz 

Sister Kathy Brazda, CSJ, who has served as pastoral associate of Notre Dame de Chicago Parish since 1996, will leave Notre Dame Sunday, Aug. 19, to become director of Taller de José (Joseph’s Workshop), a new social service program in the Little Village neighborhood.

            Taller de José, supported by the Sisters of St. Joseph and Our Lady of Tepeyac Church, will be a resource center providing referrals to a wide variety of human service organizations and programs. According to Sr. Kathy, “the center will be a safe place for people to go to get help, and we will accompany them to the referrals. That personal involvement is key.”

            The first order of business for Sr. Kathy will be to connect with agencies and organizations in the neighborhood, set up an office, recruit a pool of volunteers, and spearhead fundraising and resource development. “I’ll be totally immersed in organizing the new program,” she said.

            At Notre Dame, through her travels in El Salvador, and in her year of teaching in Bogota, Colombia, she has become increasingly interested in ministry to the Latino community, and this new position gives her a unique opportunity to focus on Latino worship and culture.

            She is enthusiastic about the new position but will deeply miss Notre Dame and the Near West Side and Tri-Taylor areas. Prior to her 11 years at Notre Dame, she taught for five years at St. Callistus School.

            “I love the people and the wonderful opportunities I’ve had at Notre Dame," she said. "Fr. Paul Reicher, Fr. Steve Lanza before him, and the parishioners have been very open to embracing women’s leadership and women’s roles in the church. And it’s been a pleasure to welcome our new pastor, Fr. Pat Pollard. But I think this change will be good for me and good for the parish.”

            Succeeding Sr. Kathy is Megan Mio, a layperson who has worked with her for the past two years as an intern. A graduate of the University of Chicago Divinity School, Mio chose to intern at Notre Dame because of its vibrant and progressive faith community. Originally from the Detroit area, she looks forward to her new position.

            “Sr. Kathy always tried to learn everything there was to learn about the parish and have as many experiences as possible,” Mio said. “She taught, she led retreats, she preached, she even did maintenance. The pastoral associate position evolved over the years through the relationships she developed with the previous pastors.

            “Notre Dame de Chicago is a place of great possibilities, which exist because of the work that has been done by Sr. Kathy and Sr. Therese Marczyk, pastoral minister," Mio continued. "It is an exciting time at Notre Dame.”

            Mary Ann Milici, who has been parish office manager for 21 years, worked closely with Sr. Brazda on a wide range of projects, including the church bulletin, mailings, and Mass aids. Milici has been especially impressed by her involvement in the recent church renovation but noted Sr. Kathy also was heavily involved in everything from finance, to liturgy, to building upkeep.  

Said Milici, “Sr. Kathy was active in all different aspects of the church. We will miss her very much. She is energetic and hardworking, and it’s so nice to have someone like that on staff. I’m sure she will do very well in her new ministry as she provides support and guidance to people in need.”

            Sr. Kathy is a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, which was established in March 2007 when seven congregations of Sisters of Saint Joseph, each of which has been established in the United States for more than 100 years, founded the new congregation. The seven founding groups brought together sponsored ministries in healthcare, insurance, housing and services for the elderly, education, nutrition, transitional housing, domestic violence, counseling, peace and justice, parish services, adoption services, social services, a printing company for nonprofits, religious music and arts education, and conference and retreat centers.

            Notre Dame de Chicago Church will host a farewell celebration for Sr. Kathy on Sunday, Aug. 19. The event begins with an 11 a.m. bilingual Mass and concludes with a reception immediately following in the parish hall. Notre Dame is located at 1334 W. Flournoy St. Call (312) 243-7400.