Carol Brouillette, CSJ
September 28, 1935 - March 13, 2026
Always making a joyful noise to the Lord and those among her.
Sister Carol Brouillette was born in Vincennes, Indiana, on September 28, 1935, to parentsThomas and Lucile Egloff. They were glad they chose to go to the hospital for her birth because she was a breech baby. They felt blessed that the doctor was able to make sure she survived. Mrs. Brouillette’s brother was a priest, Fr. Maurice, and he made arrangements to baptize her immediately. He was told her name was Carol Ann, but he added another name, so she was baptized Mary Carol Ann. She was an only child.
She was taught by the Benedictine Sisters in grade school, and it was there that she began taking piano lessons. She was blessed to have a piano at home to practice on, too. The Sisters of Providence from St. Mary of the Woods taught her in high school. She really loved the Benedictine Sisters she had in grade school, and when she thought she may have a religious vocation, she thought of them.
However, she made a friend at church who was attending Fontbonne College in St. Louis. This young woman invited her to St. Louis to attend a dance, the Sleigh Bell Ball. She was fixed up with a date and stayed the weekend. This event changed her life because she didn’t hit it off with the young man, but she met the Sisters of St. Joseph for the very first time. "These sisters were so real," said S. Carol. "They looked so happy, friendly and seemed to enjoy being alive.”
S. Carol went home and talked to her parents about attending Fontbonne. Although further from home, they agreed to let her go. She became a music major, taking piano lessons from Sister John Joseph. Later, wanting to learn how to play the organ, she began to study with Sister Victorine. After a year or two, she dropped the piano lessons and just stayed with the organ. She graduated with a degree in music education because she knew she wanted to teach music.
When it was time to graduate from Fontbonne, she was really interested in joining the community, and it seemed her parents were willing to support her in her decision. She contacted Sister John Marie Riley and prepared to move to St. Louis. On September 15, 1957, she arrived at Carondelet where she said she welcomed all the new friends she made. Her parents were good about visiting her as often as they could and were happy when she received the habit on March 19, 1958, and the name of Sister Thomas Christine.
S. Carol then moved to the Fontbonne campus where she continued her studies in music and music education, looking forward to the day she would begin teaching. Teaching turned out to be a disaster for her because she was sent to teach all the subjects and not just music at St. Luke the Evangelist Grade School (1960-1961) and then St. Roch Grade School (1961-1962), in St. Louis.
There was real joy in her heart when she got her little white envelope with her assignment to Rosati-Kain High School (now Academy) in 1962 to teach music and art. She remained there for the next 20 years. Not only did she really feel like she was prepared to be a better teacher on that level, she really liked living and teaching with all the sisters, including some School Sisters of Notre Dame Brouillette.
In 1982, S. Carol moved closer to home; her mother was up in age and her father had died. She became a student at St. Mary-of-the-Woods College in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana, then served as a pastoral associate at St. Benedict Parish in Terre Haute, Indiana, for the next nine years, checking on her mother often.
From there, she took on the role of music/liturgy coordinator at St. Lawrence Parish in Lawrenceville, Illinois (1993-1996). The need for her mother’s care was increasing, and she moved home from 1993 to 2002. During that time, S. Carol was also the the music and liturgy coordinator at Immaculate Conception Parish in Bridgeport, Illinois, until 2004. She always felt that she wanted to help others enjoy and learn music, and both she and her mother wanted her to have her music as an outlet.
The year before her mother died, Sister Martha Heimer moved to Vincennes. They rekindled their friendship — they had entered the CSJ community together. Their friendship led them into an exciting new ministry in 2004 when they were able to purchase property in Ferguson, Missouri, called the Earth Spirituality Center at St. Joseph Woods, a center that offered education about care of Earth for adults and children as well as seasonal celebrations. They also had goats, chickens, two dogs, three cats and various animals.
S. Carol was delighted that she and Martha were able to help children and adults learn how crucial it is for us to protect and nurture our environment.
Upon retiring in 2010, S. Carol devoted her volunteer time to liturgical piano and organ, and healing harp ministry in various residential facilities for seniors. She moved to Nazareth Living Center in 2020, where she lived out her ministry of prayer and presence.
Adapted from Sister Kathleen Karbowski's eulogy