Nun helping to educate children, build faith at Holy Spirit Catholic School

POCATELLO — Sister Paul Mary Dreger is a veteran educator, but she’s still relatively new to her latest post: director of the Early Learning Foundation (ELF) and After School programs at Holy Spirit Catholic School in Pocatello.

Dreger, who has been teaching for 25 years, started at Holy Spirit in August.

As part of her responsibilities, she teaches the 3- and 4-year-old children involved in the ELF program.

“I love being with the children,” she said, adding they’re young enough that they’re still getting excited about the little things, like new buds on a tree. “The discovery and joy they get out of the simple things in life reminds me of what I need to be joyful about.”

Dreger is one of two nuns working on the campus. Sister Mary Colman Pyle serves as a counselor.

Dreger believes they’re able to help bring a physical religious presence to the school that is focused not only on academics, but also the Catholic faith.

As a director, Dreger said she is working to grow the programs at the school — the number of 3- and 4-year-old children involved has already increased from 4 to 10 in recent months and is sometimes as high as 17. She’s also trying to help children build the foundation they will need as they advance to other grades.

Dreger especially wants to help the children’s faith to grow.

“The most important thing is for young kids to build their faith and love for Jesus,” she said.

Dreger is a great example of that.

While she was working as a preschool teacher earlier in her career, she began to feel that something was missing in her life. She prayed frequently and talked to one of her friends who was a priest.

“It unfolded over time that I was being called to something more,” she said. “I wanted to get married and have a lot of kids, but I felt God’s call through prayer to become a sister.”

Her friend eventually introduced her to the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, and Dreger said she knew that’s where she needed to be.

The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist have several locations throughout the U.S. and overseas. Dreger was at a center in Duluth, Minnesota, but recently moved to the local center in Pocatello.

“Our center needed me to come here and the position (at Holy Spirit Catholic School) opened up. It was a perfect fit,” she said.

Dreger earned her master’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Special Education through Idaho State University and lived in the area for about six years. She said she is excited to be in Pocatello once again.

“It’s great to be back,” she said, adding that it’s been a joy to see children she taught before and how they have grown.

Although Dreger has never had any biological children, she said she has gained many children through her work over the years. Those she has taught often invite her to their weddings and graduations.

“I became a mother in a whole different way,” she said, adding that it’s been neat to see how many people’s lives have been influenced through her life as a teacher and a sister.

Dreger says it’s a privilege to teach children who are so open to learning new things, but it can also be daunting to know that she’s helping to shape their young lives.

“It’s a scary responsibility, but it’s a gift and a joy at the same time,” she said.

This article was originally published in the Idaho State Journal. It is used here with permission.