Photo: Bryn Gladding Photography
There are not many people that can say they have spent half a lifetime connected to any one organization. Bonnie Rudnisky, who in 1971 enrolled at the University of St. Jerome’s College, and who has worked as SJU’s Archives’ Assistant for the past 24 years, may be the exception to the rule.
“I came to Waterloo in 1970 to work at the University of Waterloo in the Philosophy Department,” says Rudnisky, who a year later enrolled to study History at the College. At that time the school was run by clerics and she was drawn to a Catholic institution that supported her recent conversion to Roman Catholicism
“I wanted to continue to deepen, experience, and learn more about my faith,” she notes, adding that the smaller classes and close interaction with professors was also appealing.
Rudnisky says that working full-time and studying was difficult and so she had to pause her education. After marrying her husband Jim (BA ’71), and having children, she returned to St. Jerome’s to complete her degree as a part-time mature student. She graduated in 1993 with a BA (Hons) in Medieval Studies. Rudnisky also completed a three-year pastoral ministry course through Resurrection College.
“As one can imagine with young children at home, it was a pleasure to go to class to participate in more intellectual conversations and research. I also really enjoyed being among the younger students and seeing the world from their perspective. I did take a number of night classes where I met other mature students who were also pursuing higher learning so we had a lot in common,” says Rudnisky.
Studying History and Medieval Studies in the 1980’s was “nothing like it is today.” Rudnisky notes that she was the only one to graduate from Medieval Studies in 1993, and that Dr. Steven Bednarski’s current work with the program is “much more extensive” then what was taught in her day.
Fr. Jim Wahl, C.R. inspired Rudnisky’s interest in the program. Rudnisky says she “wanted to take every class that (he) taught,” and that having that connection was so important for her. He eventually became the archivist for the Congregation of the Resurrection, allowing their connection to continue when she became St. Jerome’s University’s archives’ assistant.
Rudnisky’s work in the library as an undergraduate student, and occasionally thereafter, continued when she filled in at the circulation desk. In April 1996, she mentioned to the librarian at the time Gary Draper and co-worker Carolyn Dirks, that she had seen an article in Update magazine about organizing the university’s archives, and thought it sounded “really interesting.” She was recruited on the spot to volunteer that summer, and the rest, well - is history!
Twenty-four years later, Rudnisky describes her part-time employment manually (and more recently digitally) archiving the university’s history as “rewarding”. Her first 10 years were spent processing the records of the Congregation of the Resurrection (founders of St. Jerome’s College in 1865), now stored at SJU. Thereafter, she focused on the university. Among the most interesting artifacts she likes are the earliest historical documents, school calendars, and photos from a time when St. Jerome’s operated as a school for young men being trained for the priesthood. One of her favourite items in the collection is a photo of a pool table in the library.
“It has been a wonderful experience to oversee and look after the ongoing history of the institution. There is no better way to keep informed of the progress being made from year to year.”
Rudnisky further asserts, “You need to have a repository of the past and the present day history as you journey into the future. I think it is very, very important that you retain the sense of who you are and where you came from as an institution. I have been lucky to do a job that I have very much enjoyed.”
For someone who has touched every item in the archival collection currently stored at SJU, it does not get much better than that.
To find out more about the St. Jerome’s University or Congregation of the Resurrection archives housed on campus, please contact sjuarchives@uwaterloo.ca