Alumnae Service Award
Kara V. McBride Brophy, M.Div.’ 87 is the proud recipient of the Alumnae Service Award. Kara humbly receives this award on behalf of all the educators, present and past, who have served the Trinity community. She knows that she is a teacher because of the many selfless acts of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters who taught her from Kindergarten onward, as well as all the lay teachers, most importantly, Ellen C. McBride (class of ‘60). The greatest professional achievement in Kara’s life was being welcomed back by the most excellent teachers that she has known: Rose Crnkovich, Barb Mezyk, Mary Barrett, Linda Harrington, Judy Miller, Julia Buckley, and the list goes on and on.
After graduating from Trinity, Kara earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Her major was Psychology, with a minor in Theology. The minor appeared by accident, and she was lucky enough to spend a semester studying abroad in Ireland. Living with a family in Dublin, Kara was able to volunteer to help with theatre production in schools, in the less-resourced areas on the North side of the city. Kara decided to apply to Amate House after college, with her Trinity classmate, Muriel Quinn (‘87), to volunteer in Chicago and live in the community. She spent half her year at Haymarket Maryville working with young mothers in recovery and their infants, and the second half of the year at St. Agnes of Bohemia tutoring students and helping them with trauma. Kara then went on to complete her Master of Divinity at Catholic Theological Union in Hyde Park, Chicago, IL. During her three years of study, she was able to spend a trimester in Israel living in the West Bank and learning from Biblical scholars. Trinity High School hired Kara as a part-time Campus Minister and teacher from 1995 until 1997. Kara married Paraic in 1997. After she left Trinity, she had various jobs: nanny, waitress, preschool teacher, and mothers group facilitator, but her favorite was mother to her three daughters: Ellen (class of 2017), Niamh (class of 2018), and Maggie Brophy. Kara returned to Trinity 14 years ago and has been delighted to be part of the community ever since.
She was accepted as an Associate to the Sinsinawa Dominicans, Sr. Michelle mentored her through this process six or so years ago. This was a desire of hers for a long time, as her love of the Sisters, all the brilliant work they have accomplished as well as the abundant love they generously impart to the World is imprinted on her heart. She was given the opportunity as the Director of Mission Integration to study with Dominicans in Fanjeaux, France. She was able to see where St. Dominic prayed, and debated, as well as Prouille where the first convent of Dominican Sisters still stands.
