Sisters celebrate milestone anniversaries

Three religious sisters who have served in the Archdiocese of Omaha are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.

Notre Dame Sister Ernestine Havlovic marks her 75-year anniversary, while Notre Dame Sister Janice Ludvic and School Sister of St. Francis Marlene Neices celebrate 60 years.

Notre Dame Sister Ernestine Havlovic – 75 years

Sister Ernestine served as an educator in three states: as a teacher in nine schools and a principal in five. She was a principal for 31 of her 51 years in Catholic education.

One of her longest assignments was at St. John Neumann School in Clarkson, where she was a teacher and principal from 1978 to 1994.

“While her early path did not initially point toward teaching, it soon became the ministry that would define her life,” the Notre Dame Sisters said in a statement on her  jubilee year.

“What began as an unexpected assignment grew into a remarkable 51-year career in Catholic education, where she taught in parish schools across Nebraska and beyond.”

Sister Ernestine often served rural areas, teaching multiple grade levels at once, sometimes in the same classroom.

“I didn’t want to teach,” she had said with a smile, but she was encouraged to try it “for a semester.”

“That semester turned into a lifetime of service,” her religious community said.

Sister Ernestine grew up on a farm near Brainard, the oldest of 15 children. She was a student at the former Notre Dame Academy in Omaha. Her experience there led her to enter the Notre Dame congregation in 1944 as an aspirant.

Notre Dame Sister Janice Ludvic – 60 years

Sister Janice has served in a variety of ways – as a teacher, leader in her religious community and in pastoral ministry, “where she found her deepest calling,” the Notre Dame Sisters said.

In that role, she has facilitated faith-sharing and Scripture study groups, led retreats and Word and Communion services, served as a religious education director and spiritual companion.

She also has been an advocate for peace and justice, participating in prayer vigils, marches and community events “that reflect her commitment to Gospel values,” the Notre Dame Sisters said.

“Whether in parish settings, healthcare environments or one-on-one encounters, Sister Jan’s ministry has always centered on listening, presence and walking with others through life’s most meaningful and challenging moments.”

Sister Janice was born in David City, one of eight children. She was taught by Notre Dame Sisters from kindergarten through high school.

School Sister of St. Francis Marlene Neises – 60 years

Sister Marlene served at several Archdiocese of Omaha schools.

She was a teacher at Sacred Heart School in Omaha from 1970 to 1974 and at St. Patrick School in Fremont from 1974 to 1976. She was principal at Fremont Bergan Junior and Senior High School from 1976 to 1978.

Since that time, Sister Marlene has served at Alverno College in Milwaukee, where she is now executive director of institutional effectiveness.

She grew up on a small dairy farm near Howard, South Dakota, and went to schools staffed by School Sisters of St. Francis.

After high school graduation in 1965, she moved to Milwaukee to join the School Sisters of St. Francis. She had been “drawn by the way the sisters cared for and worked with their students,” her congregation said.

She moved to an Omaha Provincial House to attend Creighton University, graduating in 1970.

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