Sr. Suzanne Brennan gets a thankful farewell from her staff

Friday, Dec. 05, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY — The Holy Cross Ministries staff gave Sister Suzanne Brennan, the executive director, a Thanksgiving farewell party Nov. 26 that turned out to be bittersweet. 

The staff was happy to tell Sr. Suzanne “thank you” in both English and Spanish and how much they appreciated her and wished her well in her new position as general treasurer of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, but tears welled up in many of their eyes as they also said they were going to miss her, her leadership, friendship, guidance and compassion.

Holy Cross Sister Mary Ann Pajakowski, who heads the HCM School Readiness Program and has been a colleague for many years, said she will miss Sr. Suzanne’s “sense of adventure, sense of vision, ability to take risks and passion for the people. I know you will do a wonderful job for the general leadership team.”  

Maribel Real, director of Outreach, thanked Sr. Suzanne for molding HCM into what it is today and for touching so many lives. 

“I have learned so much under your mentorship, but the most important concept I have learned is that one person can create change and one person can touch and change lives,” she said. “I wonder if you see how many lives you have touched and how the ripple effect will continue on for generations within so many of these families at HCM. … Your gift has always been to be able to see not only the obvious strengths someone can bring to the table, but the hidden potential in each one of us. Your spirit of creating positive change, spirit of equality and justice and spirit of compassion have been deeply ingrained in our hearts and in this agency and we will carry them on as we continue with the work you have started.”

Sr. Suzanne became the executive director of HCM when it was created in 1994; she stepped down from the position in May.

Under her direction, the Promotora or Outreach program was implemented to serve immigrants and young children. She realized the newly arriving immigrants were more likely “to develop a relationship with a promotora than a physician,” she said. “That program grew into English as a Second Language, which was difficult because clients were working two and three jobs and would often fall asleep in class.” 

The ESL program expanded into the after school programs in Park City, which expanded into the School Readiness Program; it now includes 3- and 4-year-olds.