Sister M. Paulette Joerger, OP

Sister M. Paulette has a sister and two aunts who are also Springfield Dominican Sisters and has served in the Archdiocese of Duluth, Minn., and her home diocese of Peoria as well as the diocese of Springfield. She is currently assistant principal, Holy Family School, Decatur, but next school year will teach junior high at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Regional Catholic School, Herrin, Ill.

For 26 years she served at St. Malachy Parish, Rantoul (1994-2021) as junior high teacher and director of religious education. Her first teaching assignment was at Little Flower School, Springfield, where she taught grades 3, 4 and 6, 1973-1977. She then taught middle school at St. Vincent DePaul, Peoria, 1977-1980, and then grades 6-8 at Cathedral School, Springfield, 1980-1985. That year she moved on to Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary School, Duluth, where she taught for three years before returning to Springfield to teach junior high students at St. Frances Cabrini, 1988-1993. She then returned to Little Flower School for one year before moving on to Rantoul.

Of her call to religious life Sister M. Paulette said it was “Nothing extraordinary, except that I had a great desire to seek God! I felt God calling me to religious life in order to assist others to experience that deep love, peace and joy. I have never regretted following God's invitation to be a religious sister. God has gifted me with many blessings as I continue to see God with all my heart.”

Sister M. Paulette’s sisters, Sister Anne Marie, O. Cist.; Sister Marian Joseph, OP; Pat (John) Sondgeroth, Sheila (Marty) Herman, and Sharon Joerger share in in the joy of her celebration, as do her aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Her parents, Paul and Margaret Joerger, are deceased.