By Sr. Jeanette Rerucha,
Principal, Villa Marie Home and School for Exceptional Children
When I was first asked to write this column, I had no idea that I would no longer be the principal of Villa Marie School at the time of this writing. But God’s plans are not always our plans, and I am grateful for an opportunity to share some parting thoughts about my time at Villa Marie with God’s most precious children.
Villa Marie has always held a special place in my heart. When discerning my religious vocation some 40-plus years ago, I was contemplating which community to join. When I visited the Marian Sisters, I immediately felt at home and I was attracted by the genuine family spirit that I encountered. When I found out that the Sisters staffed a school for special needs children just a few yards away from the motherhouse, it confirmed that this was where God wanted me to spend my life, since I had recently graduated from college with a degree in special education.
I am grateful that the Community assigned me to serve at Villa Marie for a total of 16 years—five years as a teacher and 11 as both principal and teacher. During my tenure as a teacher, I learned so much from the principals that I served with: Sister Loretta Happe, Sister Patricia Stoeckinger, and Sister Peggy Kucera. Each had her own leadership style, but all of them shared a passion for working with special needs children and a genuine love and concern for their well-being.
Sister Patricia, of happy memory, had a great sense of humor. One day she appeared with her arm in a sling, but didn’t want to talk about what happened. However, one of the students spilled the beans at Mass during the Prayers of the Faithful when he prayed: “For Sister Patricia’s arm to get better, so that we can have more towel fights,” referring to the occasionally playful way of washing and drying dishes at Villa Marie!
The annual Christmas play is a long-standing tradition at Villa Marie and an opportunity to showcase our very talented students. Each play is unique, written specifically for the Villa Marie students—usually by the principal. I always required the students memorize their lines, and their roles in the play brought out the best of their acting abilities. We had a student, Andy, who would follow the script perfectly during rehearsals, but when he got in front of an audience, he would go off script and I never knew what would come out of his mouth. His ad libs were always appropriate and very humorous, and made the plays even more entertaining, but I was always on pins and needles during the play, wondering what he would say.
Some of our students have beautiful singing voices, and the Christmas play gave them an opportunity to shine. Several of them sang solos or duets, and one of our students was also an accompanist on the keyboard. The Christmas play was always one of the highlights of the year for me, and made all the work that went into it worthwhile.
One of the beautiful things about Villa Marie is that Jesus is present in our beautiful little chapel 24-7. Many times, after night prayer, some of the girls who boarded would stay in the chapel and sing their hearts out to Jesus. During the Christmas season, we found one little girl kneeling in front of the Nativity scene singing Christmas carols.
All students, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, attend Mass and take religion classes. In the loving, nurturing environment of Villa Marie, with the presence and influence of the Marian Sisters, students get to know Jesus and develop a true friendship with Him, which leads to a desire to deepen that relationship through the sacraments. Preparing students for the sacraments and witnessing their exhilaration at fulfilling a long-held desire for baptism, their peace after making their first confession, their joy at receiving Jesus for the first time in Communion, or their radiance after being confirmed, are memories that will stay with me forever.
Many changes are underway for the future of Villa Marie: there will no longer be boarding, the first lay principal has been hired, and plans are being considered to move the school to Lincoln for the 2027-2028 school year, allowing students access to local services. Villa Marie has always been more than a school, it has been a family, and I feel extremely blessed and grateful to have been part of it. Villa Marie is the “Village of Mary,” and I pray that Mary will always watch over the precious students and dedicated staff of her beautiful little school. Regardless of what the future holds, the love, joy, and friendships that characterize Villa Marie will live forever in my heart and in the hearts of all those who love her.
