By Dan Sullivan
Catholic Herald

Schillo honored for work in education

SUPERIOR -- Sr. Genevieve Schillo, CSJ, who retired last December as diocesan director of Christian formation, was awarded the Bishop George A. Hammes Award for outstanding service to Catholic schools. The award was presented at the annual fall institute for teachers and catechists held in Rice Lake Oct. 8.

"It's interesting receiving it because I am the founder of the award," Schillo said with a chuckle.

"I knew Bishop Hammes, he was bishop here when I first came, although he was more or less retired at the time. We named the award after Bishop Hammes because he was a strong supporter of Catholic schools."

Catholic schools, she said, are extremely valuable to the church. "They have been in the past and will continue to be in the future," Schillo said.

"I thought it was a very thoughtful gesture to be given the award," she said.

Schillo stressed how proud she is of the fact that students in Catholic schools perform well on standardized tests. "Our children, at every level, score very high," she said.

As a parochial school student, Schillo had early influences by women religious, having been taught by School Sisters of Notre Dame in grade school and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in high school.

In 1952 Schillo entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in her hometown of St. Paul, Minn.

"I knew many women who entered a (religious) community," Schillo said. "It wasn't unusual in my era for young women to enter a community. On the same token, it wasn't unusual for young men to enter the seminary during that same time."

Following completion of her secondary education, she went on to graduate from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, with a B. A. degree in English and elementary education, with a minor in history.

With over 50 years in parochial education, Schillo has ministered in a number of settings. In addition to serving the Diocese of Superior, she assisted in the development office at the University of St. Thomas and the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul; served as superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Omaha, Neb., and as director of education for the Diocese of Grand Island, Neb.

While working on a doctoral degree at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., Schillo served as assistant director of management projects for Catholic education in the university's curriculum development center.

It was in 1985 that Schillo first came to Superior, as diocesan director of Christian formation. A short time later she assumed the added responsibility of superintendent of schools in the diocese. During her tenure with the diocese, she served in the capacity of superintendent on three different occasions.

Schillo has fond memories of her time with the diocese. "I think diocesan education is very exciting," she said. "One of the reasons is because there are always new opportunities for church-related education."

Under her direction a number of efforts were launched within the Diocese of Superior. Among them are the permanent diaconate and lay ministry programs. She was also instrumental in the formation of the diocesan Bishop George A. Hammes Center for Religious Education and Youth Ministry in Haugen.

Current diocesan Superintendent of Schools, Phyllis Schlagel, credits Schillo with being a woman with great foresight. "She had a vision that this office was a part of the total parish mission," Schlagel said. "She was really able to integrate Catholic schools and religious education. She is a very bright woman who has an unassuming vision. She may have a doctorate degree in education, but she never flaunted it."

As a history buff, Schillo has done extensive research. Chief among her efforts is finding information on two church figures with ties to this region, Bishop Frederic Baraga and Fr. Solanus Casey, OFM Cap. During the fall institute Schillo presented a breakout session entitled "Frederic Baraga and Solanus Casey: Saints and heroes for our diocesan community." In the presentation she spotlighted the duo whose causes are being investigated by the Vatican for possible sainthood.

"They were considered to have been very holy men," she said.

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© Superior Catholic Herald, 2003