Consecrated Life

Sister Carolyn Bronk: Providing the Vehicle and Driving It

This article was posted on: January 13, 2025

Next year, Sister Carolyn Bronk, a lifelong native of Stevens Point, will celebrate 60 years as a member of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis (SSJ-TOSF). Even though she downplays her own works and legacy, it’s clear that her devotion to learning and teaching has had a positive impact. In fact, she references and credits others in her life as the ones who gave her the encouragement and support to blaze trails.

Early Influences

The influence on her life began when the Sisters of St. Joseph taught her at St. Peter Grade School in Stevens Point. These sisters also taught at St. Joseph Academy/Maria High School, the all-girls high school that was part of the St. Joseph Convent. “They gave me a sense of connection… not to the point where I spent a lot of time with them, but their witness seemed like a role I wanted to enter into,” says Sister Carolyn, sitting at her desk in the technology lab of Newman Catholic Elementary School: St. Mark in Rothschild. “When I was a senior in high school, there were a lot of feelings of ‘should I or shouldn’t I?’ Then, during the senior retreat, I spoke with Father William McNamara, OCD, from Arizona. I had a real positive connection with him,” she says. “We discussed my indecisiveness regarding my vocation. He said, ‘I’m hearing more of yes than no.’ So, I graduated in May and entered the SSJ-TOSF in August.”

Positive Change

Excitedly, Sister Carolyn pulls out a triptych poster board from behind her desk. Standing it up on the floor, she opens it to reveal a scrapbook of her life: black and white photos of her twin sister and herself as babies, a sepia photo of them wearing matching first holy Communion dresses and veils, colored photos of Sister Carolyn taking vows and wearing her first traditional habit—a black head-to-toe tunic with a white headpiece and scapular—and many photos of her with her SSJ-TOSF community and the people who were most influential in her life. There were also photos of her as a teacher, physical education instructor and coach. The pictures reveal her story of religious transition and personal development.

“For me, there were positive changes over the years that shaped the person I was and am today,” says Sister Carolyn, reflecting on the Second Ecumenical Council established in the 1960s, which called for several modifications in Catholic practice. She explains that these changes allowed sisters to have more choice in their attire and the places where they felt called to serve. From 1964 to about 1974, sisters were assigned specific roles, work locations and even living arrangements. “It was not always easy,” she recalls wryly. “But because of these changes, I felt that I was able to engage in areas I never thought I would.”

Sister Carolyn is a believer in the value of higher education, having earned a degree and worked in physical education as an administrator and teacher. She believes that not having to wear a traditional nun’s habit makes her more approachable to her students. “Personally, I feel that I don’t need to wear a specific garment to feel identified. I have never felt that I wasn’t respected or recognized for who I am, and I believe I have a more personal connection with my students,” Sister Carolyn says.

Driving the Vehicle

Before Vatican II, Sister Carolyn was assigned to teach at St. Matthew’s in Wausau when it was still a grade school. After that, she taught at St. Joseph School in Stevens Point and then spent two years teaching at an elementary school in Independence. When the changes from Vatican II occurred, Sister Carolyn felt called to pursue something a bit different. While most sisters were primarily involved in nursing or teaching at the time, she sought and received permission to continue her education in a different field. She earned an undergraduate degree in K-12 physical education, and beginning in 1974, she worked as the high school girls’ physical education instructor at Newman Catholic High School in Wausau.

During her four years at NCHS, she initiated a lifetime sports elective that is still offered today to provide students with a more challenging option than the basic class. She also noticed that while boys had access to competitive after-school sports, girls did not. With the support and encouragement of the administration, she developed girls’ sports programs, which included tennis, volleyball, basketball, and track and field. For the first two years, she managed and coached these programs by herself without any financial reimbursement. Soon, she found other instructors to take on the coaching responsibilities, allowing the programs to thrive.

In 1978, Sister left this role to pursue further instruction in a graduate program. Unfortunately, that option did not work out, and in the meantime, Newman had filled the phys ed position, so she applied at St. Hyacinth Catholic Elementary School in Antigo, to teach third grade. There, her colleagues and the families recognized her potential for administrator roles. “I thought, me? No, I don’t think so,” she laughs. “But I accepted the opportunity, and for two years, I served as both the administrator and the third-grade teacher.”

When St. Hyacinth School later closed, Sister Carolyn joined Sacred Heart School in Cashton and taught there for 14 years, 12 of which she served as its principal.

Providing the Vehicle

After turning 54, Sister Carolyn decided to return to school herself. “I had an amazing technology instructor at Cashton who made me appreciate the hands-on aspect of learning,” she said. “So, I enrolled at Mid-State Technical College to study technology.” As she continued to learn, Sister Carolyn discovered that typing on a modern keyboard was quite different from using a manual typewriter. “I have a heavy touch,” she says with a smile. “The instructor explained that the letters keep going if you hold down the keys. She explained the ‘Delete,’ ‘Backspace,’ and ‘Space-bar’ keys to me, and when I was still making a mess, she said, ‘I think you need to retake class 101.’ At the time, I felt like she was underestimating what I thought I knew. But I listened to her and took the class again.”

Sister Carolyn readily shares personal stories like this with her students to show them that she continues to learn and how to gracefully handle emotional challenges. After earning her associate’s degree, her peers encouraged her to pursue a master’s in education with an emphasis on leadership and technology at UW-Stevens Point. She accepted the challenge and was subsequently hired as an elementary teacher at the now-closed St. Therese Grade School in Rothschild. Today, she serves as the technology and keyboarding instructor for grades K through 5 at Newman Catholic St. Mark Elementary School in Rothschild.

It’s here where Sister Carolyn loves working with her students to set goals while maintaining high expectations. “I tell my students I will provide the vehicle, but you need to be the driver. How far you go is totally up to you.” Whether she is teaching in the classroom, coaching in the gym or serving as principal, Sister Carolyn is driven to put more joy and value into a student’s six-hour day. “The students need a connection with the staff. This is what is exciting and fun: creating an environment that is more inviting than just coming in and going out,” she says passionately.

Mission and Legacy

After teaching for more than 30 years in the Newman Catholic School System and with a total of over 50 years of teaching experience, Sister Carolyn admits that retirement is not in her vocabulary. As long as she is physically and mentally able, and has the support of the staff, she intends to remain active and continue teaching.

The highlights of her career are feelings of validation and knowing she can accomplish what she sets her mind to. “The influence of individuals in my life has really been key,” Sister Carolyn says. “They shaped me, both family and friends and religious sisters, to be who I am.”

Story by Marcy Stenstrom
Published in the January/February 2025 issue of Catholic Life Magazine

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