A Match Made in Heaven

Look at the children’s faces and it’s clear they see an angel in their midst. Sister Gretchen Trautman smiles back, content doing what she was called to do.

Life as a nun and teacher matches her talents and attraction to the Marianists’ emphasis on service and community. “And, the Sisters were very good teachers,” she says. “I thought I’d like to use my life to do that.”

The principal at Holy Rosary Parish School that abuts the St. Mary’s campus, Trautman has been in education for 30 years.

She arrived in San Antonio in 1966, to the Daughters of Mary Mother House and to St. Mary’s, where models of Marianist spiritual life influenced her.

Sister Gretchen’s teaching career began on San Antonio’s South Side. After a few years in the classroom, her skills were matched with a new job as “dorm mom” at St. Mary’s where she was challenged by a growing women’s resident population and limited funding. “I went from teaching little kids to living with big ones!” she laughs.

Provincial administration and formation work followed. After 20 years in San Antonio, Trautman returned to Ohio to supervise child development programs.

When she returned, she was invited to join the St. Mary’s Board of Trustees, another good match. Trautman sees herself as caretaker of what is strong at St. Mary’s.

“It’s great to be involved again at St. Mary’s. My goals as a principal and as a trustee are to build confidence, to work hard together to maintain strengths and to excel.”

Match point. It is good she’s using her life to do that.

Sister Gretchen Trautman, F.M.I., Principal of Holy Rosary School and St. Mary’s Trustee, has been a Marianist for 36 years.