by Joseph H. RADDER
Hilbert College has
achieved its highest enrollment in the institutions history with more than 1100
presently enrolled at the South Park Avenue campus. Thats a 6 percent increase over
last years record-breaking enrollment. Sister Edmunette Paczesny, FSSJ, Ph.D.,
college president, says this increased enrollment is the result of greater recognition
Hilbert is receiving for its outstanding academic programs. More and more students
are making Hilbert their first choice, she says.
Her humility prevents her
from taking any of the credit for this growth, but students, faculty, staff, and trustees
agree that it couldnt have been possible without her.
This year, the second phase
of the new student housing complex is being completed, and a new academic center to add
classrooms, offices, and an auditorium are being built. The board has named this new
academic building Paczesny Hall, a well-deserved honor,
Sister Edmunette has been
at Hilbert College for 42 plus years. The last 30 of these years she has held the position
of college president. It has been a blessed life, she says.
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Edna (mother), Edmund (father) and Edmunette - 1933. | Edna, Edmund and Edmunette - 1935. |
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Gloria (sister) and Edmunette - 1937. | Edmunette, Kathleen (sister) and Gloria (sister) - 1943. |
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Gloria, Margaret Christensen (aunt) and Edmunette - 1937. | Edmunette at her first communion. |
Edmunette Paczesny was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on October 13, 1933. "That was
a Friday the 13th,," she said smiling. "But my birth on that date has dispelled
any allusions of Friday the 13th bringing bad luck. I have been monumentally blessed in my
life."
Sister Edmunette's parents, Edmund and Edna Paczesny, had four children. Edmunette was the
eldest. Her sister Gloria is now retired. Her other sister Kathleen Hiegel works for a
dental group. Her brother, Gary is a carpenter and cabinet-maker for the City of
Milwaukee. "Dad was a laborer in the heat-treat section of the Allis-Chalmers
factory, where temperatures often exceeded 100 degrees. Mom was a full-time mother and
homemaker."
Sister Edmunette has some wonderful childhood memories. "We didn't have a lot of
money," she remembers. "But gas was cheap in those days and we did have a car.
Mom and Dad would take us out to one of the many lakes in Wisconsin. We'd spend the whole
day at the lake and be in the water all day long and then have a picnic lunch. Sometimes
we'd stop on the way home for an ice cream cone, and if it was a very special day, we
might stop for a White Tower hamburger."
As she looks back, Sister Edmunette realizes that these lake trips were a real sacrifice
by her parents. "My Dad wasn't a fisherman. They didn't go there to enjoy themselves.
They went there because that's what we liked to do."
Always a good student who enjoyed learning, Edmunette Paczesny attended St. Josephat
Basilica School and Notre Dame High School in Milwaukee. She then went to Marquette
University where she earned a bachelor's degree. After entering the convent of the
Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, she was selected to go to Fordham University, where she
earned both master's and doctorate degrees.
Hamburg was Sister Edmunette's first and last stop after finishing college. In her first
year here she taught a combination of second and third grade at St. Francis Elementary
School in Athol Springs. She was not really prepared to teach the lower grades, but Sister
Tiburtia Gorecki, FSSJ, made it easy for her. She is ever grateful to Sister Tiburtia for
helping her to make the transition. Later, Sister Tiburtia would establish and direct
Hilbert's McGrath Library. A plaque honoring her is on display on the library's second
floor.
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Edmunettes high school graduation - 1951. | Gloria, Kathleen, Edna, Sister Edmunette, Edmund and Gary. |
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Sister Edmunette and Constance (grandmother) - 1956. | Sister Edmunette - 1974. |
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Back row, left to right, at a family gathering:
Paul (nephew); Gloria (sister); Andrew Hiegel (brother-in-law); Kathleen (sister); Pamela
(niece); Carol (sister-in-law) and Gary (brother). Front row, left to right: Sister
Edmunette, Edna (mother) and Douglas (nephew) - 1984. |
Kathleen, Edmunette and Gloria - 1999. |
Sister Edmunette taught psychology and philosophy at Immaculata College (which would
eventually become Hilbert). She also taught at Christ the King Seminary. "We needed
someone here to teach theology and they needed someone to teach psychology, so we arranged
an exchange."
The next steps up for Sister Edmunette were the positions of chair of the Liberal Arts
Department and then academic dean.
During these years, Hilbert was being formed out of Immaculata under the leadership of
Sister Edwina Bogel. "Her dream became Hilbert College," Sister remembered
fondly.
Originally founded to prepare nuns for teaching roles in parochial schools, Hilbert began
expanding its role in the community in the late 1960s. Curriculum was expanded and the
student body grew to include lay men and women. While Hilbert still has deep roots in the
Catholic Church and the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, its founding congregation, the
college operates today as an independent entity.
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Sister Edmunette and Godson Michael Milazzo - 1983. | Sister Adrienne Rapnicki, former coordinator of alumni activities and former teacher at Hilbert; Sister Edmunette and Sister Tiburtia Gorecki, foundress and former director of Hilberts McGrath Library. Photo taken when Sister Edmunette had received and honorary degree at Canisius College -1984. |
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Sister Edmunettes housemates at St. Clare Convent: Sisters Judith Elaine Salzman; Marie Stachowiak; Martha Marie Olszewski; Edmunette and Jean Marie Cherry - 1999. | Sister Edmunette; Sister Mary Beth Bejma, pastoral minister at St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Milwaukee and Kathleen Tomaszewski (friend) - 1994. |
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Sister Edmunette, Antonita Graci (friend) and Kathleen - 1999. | Sister Edmunette with former Attorney General Janet Reno, Hilbert commencement speaker and former Congressman Jack Quinn - 1999. |
Not one to display award plaques on her office walls, we had to dig a little to learn
that, not only has Sister Edmunette received numerous awards, she has also received
honorary degrees from Niagara University, Canisius College, D'Youville College and Christ
the King Seminary. The award she is most proud of, however, was the Citation Award, given
to her in 2002 by the National Conference for Community and Justice, a human relations
organization originally-known as the National Council of Christians and Jews.
Future plans? The college plans, of course, include the aforementioned new Academic
Center. Sister is characteristically humble about the plan to name this center after her.
But she is pleased that "I won't have to look down from heaven to see it."
Future plans for Sister Edmunette include retirement from the presidency in May of 2006.
However, "I definitely plan to stay involved. When that time comes I would like to
play a very active part in friend raising for the college." Working in the adult
literacy field is also of a great deal of interest to her. Tutoring adults will probably
be an important retirement activity.
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Sister Edmunette at Hilberts first Memorial Miles, a race and fun run/walk in memory of college faculty and staff who dedicated their careers to the college - 2000. | Sister Edmunette at Hilberts 2004 commencement. |
We asked our usual question about philosophy of life. After giving it some thought, Sister
said: "Throughout my life, I've strived to use my individual gifts to the best of my
ability and have encouraged others to do the same in their professional and personal
lives. Each of us has unique gifts that contribute and lead to achievement in many ways,
an approach that has certainly been a factor in Hilbert's success."
Sister Edmunette's hope and prayer for education in general is that more educators would
believe in students. "I believe that if educators believe in students, give them a
chance and support, that the students will respond positively. This has been proven here
at Hilbert where students who, for various and sundry reasons, were not accepted
elsewhere, have come here, have continued their education and earned their degree. These
people represent us very well out there in the community. Above all, you have to believe
in them."
One thread kept running through our conversation with Sister Edmunette and that was her
gratitude for being so blessed, by her family, by the religious congregation, by the
sisters in the infirmary who pray for her daily, and for the loyal support of her
co-workers. "I've had a happy life," she said in conclusion.
We wish Sister Edmunette many more happy years, as she winds down her years as president
of Hilbert College, and as she enjoys a rich and full retirement.
Joseph H. Radder, a frequent contributor to Living Prime Time, is author of the book, Young Jesus, the Missing Years. For more information, phone 1-888-280-7715 or visit www.1stbooks.com