• Brazil with Sr. Mary Anne by Nazareth Elementary

    As Mrs. Pioli and her Grade 5 students were exploring and learning about Brazil in their classroom. It made perfect sense for Sr. Mary Anne Coughlin, SSJ to join us! She was the ideal Guest Speaker as she spent several years doing Mission Work in Brazil.

    The students appreciated Sister’s company over several class periods as she shared a variety of experiences, pictures and treasures with the kids to help make Brazil and its culture more relatable.

    A few of our notable and fun takeaways include:

    • Sr. Mary Anne’s first trip to Brazil was over 50 years ago!  

    • During the late ’60s and early ’70s when Sr. Mary Anne was abroad, The Sisters of Saint Joseph were charged with missionary work, which included visiting lepers and working in clinics. Many taught ESL/English as a second language in high schools. Sr. noted that land reform was also a ‘hot button’ topic at that time.

    • Throughout two summers, Sr. Mary Anne estimated that she and her colleagues collectively vaccinated approximately 2500 people!  They would visit farms, small towns and villages, to provide needed vaccinations for families with babies and elementary-aged children.

    • Sister provided a few quick language lessons, helping us to say keywords or phrases in Portuguese. Sr. Mary Anne noted that the students and children in Brazil were very polite. When Sister or any of her colleagues would mispronounce or offer a phrase that wasn’t quite right via translation, the people of Brazil were kind and gracious.

    • As a bonus, Sr. Mary Anne brought in photos, mementos, and special pieces made of Jacaranda wood (native to Southern Brazil) for the students to see and feel.

    There's a gift in seeing our teachers in a different light with talents and experiences that are beyond what the students see every day. Not only did our kids have a different perspective on a topic they were studying, but Sr. Mary Anne was able to reflect on the life-changing work that she had been called to do.