Sister And Students Make Music Together

Benedictine Sister Susan Ann Necas wants her students to know their lives are important.

As the music teacher for about 500 students at Holy Trinity Catholic School in Jasper, she has the formula to make it happen.

“I believe that God gave them all their talents, at different levels,” she says. “And what they have we use. Nobody gets left out. Ever.”

Sister Susan Ann, a member of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, tries hard to call on every child by name in every class. She looks for ways to praise and motivate them.

Terri Petry, the mother of sixth-grader Sophie, says, “Sister Susan Ann goes above and beyond to make every student there feel special, like they are her particular favorite student. She inspires them, or challenges them if she needs to; she just knows what each kid needs.”

Such an ability to help others as a teacher may have been why Sister Susan Ann experienced a transformative moment herself four years ago, when she had retired from teaching music, but was agonizing over what she could do next. She tried to land bookkeeping work, but nothing opened up. She distinctly recalls her despair in her room one June morning at 5:30 a.m., praying, “God, I’m not trained for anything.” She then remembers, as her voice quivers, “I literally felt like I heard God say, ‘You are a teacher.’ It was a powerful moment for me, and such a powerful moment in prayer.” She knew there was an opening for a music teacher in Jasper, so she immediately pursued it and landed the job. “That was totally God’s grace. It’s one of the highlights of my life.”

Visits to some of her kindergarten, third, fourth, and fifth grade classes revealed a mix of lesson styles, singing, keyboard playing, dancing, pertinent messages, fun, and the right amount of seriousness. She must employ a variety of approaches, as she teaches every full-day student from pre-school through eighth grade.

Other classes touch on music theory, music composers, music history, instruments, keyboarding, and various music games. Many of the lessons include some religious education, since, as Sister Susan Ann notes, “Christ is the reason we’re here. Talking about God in class just comes naturally. I always carry Christ with me. I think the children sense that.”

But she is also there because of the children.

“These kids mean the world to me. It’s just delightful to be with them. I was called to teach. That’s who I am. I want them to love music, because music is fun and penetrates all of life. And there’s nothing more rewarding than walking down the hall, hearing ‘Sister Susan,’ and a child comes running and throws their arms around you.”

She brings a lot of her Benedictine values into her teaching. “We really love each other, and know we’re family. I teach the kids to treat things as vessels of the altar, according to Benedict’s Rule. So we take care of our books, our keyboards, our pencil sharpeners. We strive to treat each other gently, at the monastery and at Holy Trinity School. It’s just automatic. I don’t have any big thing to offer. I’m just who I am.”

But others think she has plenty to offer as she teaches the joys of music.

Tori Hemmerlein, a fourth-grader, wrote in notes to Sister Susan Ann last year, “You are the best pianist I ever heard and really good at singing, praying, and more. I love you so much I think I might have tears of joy. . . . You inspire me every day. . . . Every time my heart beats I think about you.”

Sandy Hemmerlein, Tori’s mother, says, “Tori likes to sing, and Sister Susan Ann has always encouraged all the kids. For Tori, having that encouragement has made her really want to sing. She sang a solo in the school’s talent show. I’m sure Sister Susan Ann’s encouragement helped build her self-confidence to be able to do that.”

Holy Trinity School’s administrators have also taken note of Sister Susan Ann’s gifts. Sally Sternberg, the school’s former principal who is now assistant superintendent of Evansville Diocese Catholic schools, remembers the sense of joy and life she had, how she radiated enthusiasm for music in the classroom and in church, and how “the love of Christ shines through her, which is very much attributed to her Benedictine background.”

Current principal Tyler Lemon feels Sister Susan Ann does a great job with ensuring music and singing is a huge part of the students’ Mass experience. “She teaches them the importance of music in their lives,” he says. “I enjoy that she does line dancing. It gets them moving, which is a great skill for them. She brings that spiritual aspect to what we do here.” 

Eckerle is communications director for the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand.