Celebrating IHM Jubilarians Sister Lenore Pochelski and Sister Maxine Kollasch

Marian High School joins the IHM Sisters in celebrating two women with special connections to Marian who are marking milestone Jubilees this year: Sister Lenore Pochelski, IHM, celebrating 60 years as a religious, and Sister Maxine Kollasch, IHM, celebrating 25 years.

For the IHM Sisters, Jubilees are a time to honor Sisters marking milestone anniversaries of religious life. This year, 20 IHM Sisters representing a combined 1,011 years of ministry were honored during a weekend of Jubilee festivities, including a special liturgy on Saturday, July 25.

Sister Lenore Pochelski, IHM: 60 Years

For more than three decades, Sister Lenore was a defining presence at Marian, helping shape generations of students into strong women of mind and heart. Her service to Marian was part of a much longer vocation to education that began when she entered the IHM community in 1965.

Drawn, as she once wrote, to the IHM Sisters because they were “vibrant women educators,” Sister Lenore would go on to embody that description throughout her own ministry. She began her career teaching eighth grade at Sacred Heart and St. Matthew schools in Detroit. In 1973, she was named junior high teacher and directress at the Hall of the Divine Child, where she later served as principal and guided the school through its closure in 1980. After earning a master’s degree in educational leadership from Wayne State University, she served for 11 years as principal of Beahan Junior High School in Farmington.

In 1992, Sister Lenore came to Marian, beginning a remarkable tenure that culminated in her service as head of school. Her influence on the school and its students was recognized in 2016 with the establishment of the Sr. Lenore M. Pochelski, IHM, Endowed Scholarship by friends and family in honor of her 50 years as an IHM Sister and 25 years of leadership at Marian. Each year, the scholarship recognizes three Marian students: a freshman, sophomore, and junior who demonstrate academic achievement and involvement in co-curricular activities, athletics, and leadership. Today, the Sr. Lenore Scholarship fund continues to grow through donations made in Sister Lenore's honor, extending her legacy of leadership and support for Marian students.

Sister Lenore retired from Marian in 2023 after 31 years of extraordinary service. In recognition of her lasting impact on the school, Marian’s front atrium was renovated and named in her honor. Today, the Lenore Pochelski, IHM, Atrium welcomes students, families, alumnae, and visitors to Marian, serving as a lasting tribute to her decades of leadership and dedication to the school.

Sister Maxine Kollasch, IHM: 25 Years

Marian also celebrates IHM President Sister Maxine Kollasch whose path to religious life began with a career in communications. Before joining the IHM congregation, she worked as a college textbook editor and as corporate communications director for Mercy Health Services, now Trinity Health. She later joined the IHM Sisters as director of communications and, several years later, entered the congregation as a novice.

In 2006, Sister Maxine and Sister Julie Vieira, IHM, co-founded A Nun’s Life, an innovative online ministry that used new technology to help people explore faith, vocation, and religious life. During her 15 years with the ministry, which has reached people in 175 countries, Sister Maxine helped create a digital space where people could connect with women religious, ask questions, and explore their own sense of calling.

In 2024, Sister Maxine was elected president of the IHM Sisters Leadership Council. In this role, she leads the congregation and its leadership team. The council also provides guidance and oversight to Marian’s Board of Directors, continuing the IHM Sisters’ longstanding relationship with Marian.

Marian congratulates Sister Lenore and Sister Maxine on their milestone Jubilees and celebrates their years of service, leadership, and commitment to the IHM mission. We are grateful for the many ways their ministries have strengthened the IHM community and our school.