Marillac History Project
HELP US TELL THE STORY OF MARILLAC HIGH SCHOOL
The St. Louise de Marillac High School (LdM) History Project was launched in 2021 as a collaborative effort by alumnae, faculty, and Daughters of Charity, with the goal of capturing the legacy of St. Louise de Marillac High School in Northfield, Illinois. As Marillac’s doors stood open for such a relatively short period, this project aspires to record and preserve the brief history, from the recruitment of the first class entering in 1967 to the transition of the final classes to Loyola Academy in 1994. In addition to gathering facts, confirming dates, and verifying important details in the life of our beloved LdM, the History Project also hopes to collect memories and reflections from alumnae to accurately articulate the true spirit of Marillac and to highlight the impact that the unique experience has had on our lives today.
Join us as we remember all that is Marillac! Please take some time to reminisce and reflect on your LdM experience. We invite you to share your stories with us by emailing directly to info@MarillacHighSchool.org or click on the links beside the questions below. We formulated these questions to help awaken some memories and we included some of our favorite responses for your enjoyment and inspiration! You may choose to answer one of these specific questions or focus on other topics meaningful to you. We ask that if you share your favorite event, tradition, teacher, etc., that you please provide details and explain why. Thank you very much for your contribution! We also welcome any photos or other mementos that you would like the community to see!
Photos provided courtesy of Daughters of Charity Province of St. Louise, St. Louis, MO.
Daughters of Charity looking at site for Marillac High School.
Describe your favorite Marillac memory. Why has it stayed with you all this time?
“One of my favorite memories was the nuns standing on ladders to hold up the volleyball net. Apparently, we could not afford the real deal!”
– Arbara Kesler Ausick, Charter Class of ’71
“In 1968 our school, of just 200 freshmen girls, entered a local radio station contest and competed with high schools from the entire Chicago area. We gathered enough Green Stamps to win the grand prize “sock hop”, emceed by the station’s top DJs, and danced to live bands. The Charter class will never stop talking about that accomplishment.”
– Christine Marrone Shields, Charter Class of ‘71
“I had great teachers and made great friends. I consider it great fortune to have been both at Marillac and Loyola. The end of LdM was bittersweet. I was sad to see it go but was so proud that I got to be a part of the beautiful sendoff we gave her.”
– Cathy Janowski Downing LdM/LA Class of ‘96
How has your Marillac experience influenced your life beyond graduation? How does it continue to inform your life?
“I was a student who graduated in 1987. Little did I know then, but Marillac was a place that instilled in me that I was Beloved. I and many were nurtured and cared for by the entire staff and community in a way that was simple and revolutionary. The seeds planted I took with me and continue to sow elsewhere. I refer to myself as a feminist Catholic and Marillac gave me a voice. As women we were the dominant culture, not to be drowned out by other voices and this was good, i.e., to come to know our own voices as leaders in our future communities.”
– Kim Nugent, Class of ‘87
“People outside of the world of Marillac think I’m crazy to have such fond memories of high school and speak of it so positively 30 years later. Marillac was a magical place. Being in an environment of responsible freedom where the class president was a girl, the valedictorian was a girl, the captain of the varsity sports teams were all girls; this was all extremely empowering to a young woman in her developmental years, and it definitely made me the woman I am today.”
– Jessica Lason Gwozdz, Class of ‘89
Tell Us About One (or Some) of your Favorite Daughters of Charity, Teachers, or Members of the LdM Community.
“…the story of the founding of Marillac includes the fact that not all of the Daughters of Charity were on board. As an order dedicated to serving the poor, some questioned building a school in the affluent suburb of Northfield, Illinois. Sr. Constance’s reply (I’m paraphrasing) was that ‘sometimes the best way to serve the poor is to educate the wealthy.’
I have never forgotten those words, and I think of them often in my own work. I am a Catholic school teacher now, and I realize that Sr. Constance was right: we need to educate our kids about the poor, the sick, and the suffering; not only in impoverished countries, but also in their own backyards. We need to show them real-life ways to get involved and help. Thanks to Sr. Constance and the other Daughters of Charity, WE got that education at Marillac. I will always be grateful, and humbly hope to educate more kids in the same way.”
– Shannon Schumacher Sullivan, Class of ’82
Sr. Constance.
“Sr. James was our mentor for both PomPom and Student Council. She was a no-nonsense mentor with just the right balance of kindness, humor, and “knock it off”. She was very special and greatly missed.”
– Jennifer Carlson, Class of ‘89
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