Christian Charity Sister De Lourdes Bragg is celebrating a significant anniversary — 80 years in religious life. While she is one of few enjoying such a long ministry, Bragg, who lives at Sacred Heart Convent in Wilmette, exemplifies common feelings found among those observing religious jubilees this year regardless of length. She is happy with her vocation choice, looks forward to each day and does it for the glory of God. “I enjoy every minute of my life and find good in every day,” said the 99-year old Bragg who’ll reach the century mark next New Year’s Eve. “I don’t have money but I’m rich and happy. I do everything with love and pleasure for the glory of God. I never forget him.” Bragg’s enthusiasm and joy of life are infectious as is her laugh. She entered the convent in 1929 after high school and began teaching the intermediate grades, later college. She taught most every subject but her favorite was art. “Teaching gave me strength and ambition,” Bragg said. “I had wonderful kids. They were like jewels, treasures. They knew I loved them, always listened when I said they never can outgrow their guardian angels. ” There were also challenges in teaching. “I had to make it interesting to keep their attention,” she said. “I even had to ‘bargain’ with others to keep them in school.” Some of Bragg’s most cherished memories are those when she coordinated and worked on high school operetta sets while teaching in Iowa. “We worked hard, sometimes late into the night, getting them ready but we enjoyed every minute. That was in addition to teaching seven art classes a day.” Many of her students still stay in contact. Some will be attending her June jubilee celebration. Bragg taught art classes at Mallinckrodt College and Loyola University in Wilmette. Many of her students were women with grown families. When the Mallinckrodt motherhouse closed, she moved to Sacred Heart Convent there. So did her art students. Some children of former students came too. They now meet twice a week for about two hours. “We found a storage room in the basement,” said Bragg. “We cleaned it out, a janitor painted the room and now it’s ours. Students make coffee and bring goodies to eat. We paint, talk and enjoy each other’s company.” Serving 75 years Sister of the Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth Antonia Klausner is observing her 75th anniversary as a woman religious. Her call to religious life came early, and after high school she attended nursing school. “My ambition was to be a nun in the battlefield in the manner of Florence Nightingale,” said Klausner who serves as coordinator of standards and education at Resurrection Health Care’s Ss. Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center in Chicago. But Klausner’s dream of serving in the war was not to be. Instead, she saw her ambition lived through others including her brother who died at Iwo Jima during World War II. Klausner taught briefly and then went to St. Mary’s Hospital where she has served 66 years — 21 of which were as director of its nursing school until the facility closed. The school operated for 86 years and graduated 3,000 nurses, Klausner stated. “I graduated 1,300 of them and prepared the nurses for working all over the world, some on the battlefield where I had hoped to be,” she said. “I love to see what they are doing now and how they are helping others.” Like Bragg, many of Klausner’s students keep in touch. Some will celebrate with her this spring. Also like Bragg, retirement is not in the picture for Klausner. She works full time and serves as coordinator of standards compliance and education at the medical center. She also serves as a member of the review panel for Illinois Nurses Association Continuing Education Committee. “I love working and do it for the greater glory of God,” she said. Serving 60 years Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary’s Sister Lorraine Crawford is another jubilarian who loves what she does. “It’s so life-giving bringing people closer to God,” said Crawford who is celebrating 60 years as a woman religious. She says the last thing on her mind as a teenager was becoming a sister. “I’d go the other way when someone suggested it,” said Crawford. “Then as a high school senior I felt that God was calling me to become a sister. I decided to try it.” Her career path began in teaching, which lasted about 30 years. Then her path took a turn. She assumed the role of pastoral associate for 21 years at St. Raymond Cathedral in Joliet. Her ministry went down yet another path and for the past seven years Crawford has been an ESL teacher at the Mary Ward Center in Chicago. “It’s life-giving for me and brings people closer to God,” she said. “I am very happy in my work.”